6months today since my hybrid mini maze., at Sheffield Northern General. Mostly good with a few bumps in the road. When I’m feeling frustrated/frightened if my heart starts to bounce, I try to remind myself that I’m ok. Kardia nearly always says nsr, only twice in 6 months said unclassified and never possibly AF. So would I do it again? You bet.
Still need to see DrSahu the EP who did the catheter ablation bit of the procedure (5th Dec) hopefully he will stop the apixaban, and discharge me.
Here a photo from about 3 weeks, a beautiful gorge walk in Castril, this wouldn’t of been possible before May 4th, I’d of been sitting on a bench, pretending I didn’t mind while others went without me.
I know it might not last forever, but doing my best not to think about that.
Right I’m off out in a bit to the village pub for the best Thai outside Thailand and yes I’m walking there.
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4chickens
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Such good news 4chickens! 😊 That’s lovely to hear and thanks for keeping us posted. A beautiful photo too. Keep living in the moment and enjoying life and stay well!
How lovely to see such a positive post from you. I must admit to feeling a bit envious. I want to do the lovely gorge walk you've put a picture of, hope the walkway was sturdy?
Thanks for the good wishes, it was more painful to recover mainly from the minimaze cuts etc but less bruising than I expected and far less in the groin then when catheter ablation only. Some of the longer recovery is from the lengthy general anaesthetic. I’d had 4 previous ablations and was heading towards a 5 or pace and ablate
Thank you for that, I’d had GA with 3rd ablation & thought I’d go to the PA stage then my miracle happened (hence the fear when I got that AF other day 😱 )
Congratulations! Job well done. Did you have your LAA clipped? I can’t remember if the hybrid does that or not! Either way may it long continue. I still get PACs and PVC along wit very short bursts of fast beats like maybe 8 since my WMM 16 mos ago but it never goes into AFib hence the reason for ablating the outside of the heart. Keep living life!
Congratulations on your 16 months too. Yes LAA was clipped. So hopefully stop the apixaban soon, I’m desperate to get back on a horse but with anticoagulants the risk is just too great. (I tend to fall off a lot😂)
You will be off soon. I’m curious if the LAA was clipped why you are still on anticoagulants. I remember my EP wanted me still on them for 90 days after my minimaze but I declined as I knew Dr Wolf had done a TEE during surgery to ensure complete closure.
Wonderful to hear your news 4chickens! That time has certainly gone quickly. All the best to you in your new life and long may you continue enjoying it AF free!
Wow! Can't believe it's 6months!, Fantastic news 4chickens. Absolutely Brilliant. No point thinking about the future. None of us knows what that really holds.
Enjoy being Afib free & all the amazing walks you are doing.... It's wonderful & am soooo delighted for you. 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Congratulations. No reason why it will not hold for many years to come. MummyLuv is nearly 18 months out, having had it done by your surgeon Mr Hunter, and is also doing great in NSR.
In 16 days I will be 12 months out and will bore everyone yet again with my Japan odyssey.
I shall look forward to it Saulger. It certainly isn't boring! Nearly 12 months.... Fan-tas-tic!!Early Post op I had one Kardia reading of suspected Afib but NSR ever since..... I'm 8 weeks post op. 😊
Thank you, Ange. I've not asked after you recently with all the upheavals in the world that so occupy me. I am very happy that all is proceeding well and that NSR will be our lot going forward.
Nice happy news that Carole is doing so well and, after just 6 months, she can enjoy life to the full.
I feel that I got my heart back and also my sanity. I am now hardly aware of what the heart is doing, which I feel is for the best.
Good news and it is interesting to hear good news about ablations being successful.
I just wondered, as we hear so many negative views about ablations of all kinds and their failures here, whether it is possible in any way to have a survey of members which could quantify in some way those who have had a successful procedure, those who have had unsuccessful ones, how many times people have undergone a procedure and so on, as that would be very helpful to many considering such a thing.
I know every case is different and the poll would need to be properly conducted, but perhaps HealthUnlocked has the means of doing that?
There are different types of ablation so a poll would need to reflect that.... &, what each person needed. What works well for one may not for someone else.
Great to hear your success story 4chickens . So pleased for you . You give me hope for my own future as I am heading for ablation no 3 . I have decided that will be my last ‘standard ablation ‘ and if it is not successful in holding off the beast again I will go down the hybrid route . I’m thinking either Sheffield as I live in Nottingham , or Tokyo if I need to go down the private route ( my brother lives in Tokyo !) . Enjoy that delicious Thai , my fave, yum x
Sounds like either is good option. Mr Hunter at Sheffield is a great supporter of theNHS and believes that folks should get the right treatment for them regardless of their ability to pay. He gets frustrated with the bureaucracy and incompetence around the management of the NHS but never its founding principles and why it was set up.
Yes. He wasn't impressed that the NHS couldnt do a full thyroid panel & GPs are no longer allowed to ask either, but when I paid the NHS for one they did it. Barely backdoor privatisation these days.... Lol.
I had to go and see a private cardiologist both times I was in persistent AF .The first time was my initial episode , I was 52 , working for the NHS as a physiotherapist at the time , fit and active but overweight . I was told by the NHS registrar I saw I could ‘ live with it ‘ with rate control only . No mention of a cardioversion , let alone an ablation . I was in poorly controlled AF with high rates on 10 mgs of bisoprolol for 6 months before I finally got my first cardioversion . No wonder it didn’t hold for long with all that remodelling !
Same again with second bout of persistent , but at least I had more knowledge of the beast by then and went straight to private ! But could never afford any treatment , and nor should I have had too ! I’ve been waiting for ablation no 3 for over 12 months now but I’ve had my best year yet with dronedarone holding me in SR with only 2.5 mg of bisoprolol . As you know this is not a long term fix tho as it is toxic and at some point will cease to work . Anyway , I love to hear of good NHS success stories , although I do remember you had a lot of stress with all of the cancellations . You got there in the end though . 👏👏👏👏
Yes it was a difficult process to actually get the surgery, very disorganised both pre and post op. You have to become your own advocate and politely push.
I to worked for the NHS in a mental health ot department.
So pleased for you. I think it will feel even better when you stop the Apixaban. Even if there are no side effects for you, the mental well-being of knowing you are off another drug will be fantastic.
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4 months post ablation and AF free
How many months/years AF free since ablation?
AF disappears for a month 
Dealing with my first AF episode since diagnosis 6 months ago
6 months post Ablation 
