Pulse Field ablation.

[Bobbo52]

Yesterday attended St.Thomas’ hospital London for an ablation.Bit of history………..I am a 71 year old man, diagnosed with paroxysmal afib in 2017, Bisoprolol and apixaban prescribed, afib continued off and on but gradually more frequent upto 2022. Mid 2022 it went a bit berserk having 4 or 5 episodes a week lasting 5 to 24 hrs. Finally in December 2022 meds changed to Flecainide, symptoms disappeared. Despite this in April 2023 local cardiac team offered an ablation on grounds afib would eventually recur and also being on Flecainide long term not desirable. So elected to have the ablation.

Was pleasantly surprised to be told it would be a Pulse Field ablation under GA. In surgery 2 hrs (probably less for op as you know lots of faffing around before they start). Afterwards felt fantastic, no abnormal feeling in heart or chest , bit uncomfortable in groin area, so I thought great why was I worried so much. It was too good to believe, a haematoma developed in groin at site of catheter insertion and began to spread. So nurse applied very severe manual pressure to the area to stop it , have to say this is probably the worst pain I have experienced in my life! A small pressure machine also applied. After an hour and half all ok. Off home with not quite a skip and a jump.

Poor night, peed for England most of the night, this morning feel a bit spaced out.

[BobD Volunteer]

Do read our fact sheet on recovery. I will link below. I know the groin problem. After my first I woke up in a large red puddle which seemed to stress the staff and I ended up with a femstop (giant G clamp) for several hours.

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

[Bobbo52 in reply to BobD]

Thanks for the guidance notes BobD

[Hidden]

Great news, I think there will be a lot of people interested in your progress so please keep us informed. Now take it easy and read that fact sheet 😉

[Foxglo]

That all sound super great, speaking from experience when I felt super great after an ablation just before Christmas in 2020. No matter how amazing you feel I felt glad to be alive do it easy. In my experience it takes alot longer than the 3 months some times suggested.

[Bobbo52 in reply to Foxglo]

Hi Foxglove, yes think the initial elation is fact you survived !

[Foxglo in reply to Bobbo52]

Mine was just before Christmas I took loads of phone calls from friends tried to plan for Christmas ended up Af on Christmas Eve so back on Flecainide and Diltiazem for a few months till weened off gradually. I will never know if doing to much and emotions of Chris prep caused the Af. My recovery took a good 6 months still having the odd tiny flare up for a couple of years afterwards. I often wonder if the confidence that comes with time not having an episode help avoid a recurrence. Good luck with your recovery take it easy and drink lots of water. Best wishes

[DawnTX in reply to Foxglo]

Healing definitely takes time. My doctor had said up to six months. I am now at a little over four and starting to feel normal. With ablation it is different, because they could last a day or a week or your lifetime we just don’t know. I had a few twinges the other day, but they are just that no big deal anymore and I’m so grateful. For me, it was finally the AV node and pacemaker, that did it.

[Lenlec]

hope it all goes well.

[Dodie117]

good luck. I had my one and only ablation in st Thomas in 2013 and lasted for almost 10years. Coming back atm but infrequent and less symptomatic.

[Bobbo52 in reply to Dodie117]

Thanks Dodie117, might I be impolite and ask how old you are? Also do you think you will need another ablation.

[Nancy61 in reply to Dodie117]

That’s a great success story- thanks for sharing 😊

[Dodie117]

now 74 but 63 when ablation done. Moved to Ireland and saying ablation not necessary at this stage.

[2learn]

good job england won with all your additional help.

[DawnTX]

You sound pretty good I also had a small one in the groin or so they thought 😱 I was in recovery still pretty much drugged and oh yes it’s still hurt. Thankfully my doctor came along when he saw three of them hovering over me trying to move it. It was a fairly new procedure. They use to stop bleeding. I was even familiar because I had had it done in Florida. it eventually disappears but that’s what they were feeling. Not a hematoma. It is a thing that they insert.

L O L every time I have something done I pee for the state of Texas and you know how big that is 😹😹 I would say most of it is the IV fluid stays keep giving us it takes me about three days to empty out

Best of luck. I went on to end up with a pacemaker best thing I ever did, but who knows with the new ablation technique. Hopefully you will hold for quite a while😊.