I was reading a recent post - To 'ablate or not to ablate' by Tamgirl. Most responses were yes to ablation.
I ask this question of everybody on each side of the fence. Do you know what type of AF you have? Your type of AF may have had a bearing on your decision to ablate or hold of on ablation.
Vagal AF or Adrenergic AF? Does everybody reading this know which they have 100%?
Adrenergic AF is more likely during the day, Vagal AF is more common during sleep when the heart rate is slower due to the effect of the vagus nerve.
I have classic Vagal AF, I had AF almost every night which I could switch it off with a Vagal Maneuver, usually 2 or 3 times a night. And a PIP if I could not switch the AF off.
My AF burden was quite low but I had up to 800 PAC's and 400PVC's every night. I was wearing a nightly monitor for 5 months and tackling the beast as best I could without medication. The issue was my sleep was affected and I could not really keep up it up.
7 months ago my EP put me out of my misery and put me on 50mg of Flecainide and 50mg of Diltiazem morning and night. I have not had a single AF episode or Pac's or Pvc's since then.
I am booked for an ablation in October and my heart feels absolutely great. I can put a hold on the ablation and keep a holding pattern in the queue.
Did you consider your type of AF when making the Ablation decision?
Robert