I'd been in hospital almost a week and my very first cardioversion was planned for a Saturday morning. I had no idea whatsoever regarding what to expect. The cardiologist I was under and his mate another consultant were going to perform it.
The day arrived and the cardiologist appeared by my bed in the ward and then his (off duty) mate turned up in scruffy clothes. Now in my mind I thought I'd be taken to some sort of scrupulously clean, sterile operating theatre, that certainly wasn't the case!
Where shall we do this cardioversion one asked the other, here in the ward (with 5 other people)? Oh no thought I, why did I agree to this. They decided to do it in a side room. Have we got everything we need, one asked the other and went through what they required. Panic had truly set in now and I wondered if I might die. I berated myself for being so foolish as to say yes to this procedure.
A short acting general anaesthetic was given to me. The next thing I knew I was awake and in normal rhythm, which lasted for a good period of time. At last I could go home.
Well fellow forum members to be honest, since then I've had lots of cardioversions. I see your posts on here saying you are going to have your first one and truly understand your fear of the unknown.
Why have I written this post? To let you know that there is absolutely nothing to fear when having one. I ended up loving having them, as for me they always put me back into normal sinus rhythm.
The following is what I've experienced when having one by an experienced team:
You turn up at the hospital along with about ten other people, many have all been given the same time as you, sit around waiting for about an hour for your turn. You go in to a small ward area, get undressed and put on one of the hospitals gowns. You lie on a bed and someone comes and puts a cannula in the back of your hand and you're wired up to a machine that's showing your heart rate. The team turn up all bright and happy (doc and some nurses). You have pads stuck to your chest and sometimes back too, the short acting GA is injected into your cannula, you are zapped by the machine that delivers the shock and then wake up a few minutes later and for me I'm always back in normal sinus rhythm. The feeling of joy is like no other and gratitude to everyone involved sweeps over me - honestly I could kiss their feet!
At my hospital they want you to eat some toast and have a cup of tea before leaving, that's it! They tell you that you need to have someone with you for the next 24hrs and are told not to sign any documents during that time.
A word of warning though. Afterwards don't do anything to raise your heart rate for a week or so, no walking up hills, or lifting anything heavy, don't exert yourself at all. Allow your heart to gain strength beating at it's correct rate. I once made the mistake of walking up a hill the day after a cardioversion and my heart went straight back into AF. Oh, no alcohol for a while after either. Eating slightly smaller meals is a good idea too, the stomach is close to the heart and eating lots could cause it to press against your heart as you move around. You know your heart is tetchy don't provoke it. 😊
I grew to love having cardioversions, then after having two in 2019 and still going back into AF a few months after, I was told I wouldn't be offered anymore. I can tell you I was devastated to hear that. Since then my heart has settled into a rhythm between 60-90bpm and I can tell you that I truly feel better than I have for years. A year ago I was also told to stop taking my flecainide, the difference in my increased energy levels after stopping them was truly amazing. My cardiologist (hadn't seen one for years) told me that Flec was causing more harm than good.
Hope this helps all those waiting to have a cardioversion
Jean
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Excellent reassurance Jean. I have been in a comfortable AF mode since my last Ablation in 2019, but, I do remember those rocky years pre-last Ablation . You, Bob and our wonderful volunteers were my guide and my Rock.
That's a great post. A specialist nurse did both mine and I well remember the joy of waking up in normal rhythm. But I endorse your advice about not raising your heartrate for a while afterwards. After my second cardioversion I was lounging on the sofa watching TV and luxuriating in the sinus rhythm. At that point a family member rang and semi-jovially announced "I've got a bone to pick with you!"
I felt my heart skip a beat and was back in AF for the next 3 months till my next ablation.
Yes, shock and stress can soon raise our heart rates. My heart will race if I hear a noise in the night. I swear if anyone did break into my house (Fort Knox) my heart would beat so fast that I'd die of shock. I've solved this fear by leaving the passage light on outside my bedroom.
Thank you Jean. Your early experience is interesting and shows what a pioneer you were. My 3 so far have been very smooth and as you describe, except I had a sandwich. I’d have preferred toast!
A first cardioversion is scary, it's the great unknown.
At one time, many years ago we were given a little cardboard lunchbox which contained a sandwich, apple and maybe something sweet. I guess that must have been one area where they could cut back. Yes, I find toast more acceptable than a sandwich.
Same here, I was once in A&E with my heart in fast AF and doctors on duty decided to do a cardioversion right away. They told me I wouldn't have GA or anything to sedate. Well you've never seen anyone's heart go back to normal as quick as mine did. What a relief.
Thanks Jeanjeannie. I always love reading your posts.That fear before any new proceedure is just awful. I've discovered over the years I'm a very face on person and want to know it all: the good the bad & the ugly.....it's how I get my sense of control. But when getting to the actual event of the proceedure itself I become like an ostrich almost trying to convince myself Im somewhere else!! 😂🤣 It's akin to an out of body experience or fingers in the ears whilst going lalala. I'm afraid I'm the same when visiting the dentist.....my most feared place. So unfair as my dentist is lovely!!
I'm so happy that you are ok and settled with a comfortable AF. I've no idea what that is as mine never was. And how great that coming off a heart drug improved things for you. Brilliant! Some of these drugs can do good but others really not! Big hugs xx
I think your way of dealing with an ablation is a good one.
I had my first ablation in July 2011 and oddly I wasn't the slightest bit worried beforehand. I truly believed that it would be a miracle cure and my life and energy levels would return to normal.
A friend I'd made on this forum, who lived not too far from the hospital I was in, came to visit the night before and we chatted and laughed non-stop. I didn't have time to worry. Then I was first for the procedure next day.
I think your way of dealing with an ablation is a good one.
I hope Jean won't mind if I add my recent experience. I have had 2 cardioversions in the last 4 weeks the first following an ablation which I knew nothing about because the sedation was increased before they did it , it didn't work and the second was last Friday.
I went in as a day case on Friday at 10 am and the cardioversion was done by 2 specialist nurses . Everything was explained, a canula added to my arm, details taken then I was accompanied to a quiet room with soft lighting and the ECG and other equipment applied. I asked if I could use my slow breathing exercise, yes...the medication was given and I went out like a light and was back on the ward and awake very quickly .
They use a quick acting short lived anaesthetic , all very efficient.
I was offered tea and biscuits or soup which was welcome as I had fasted since the previous day.
I dressed, rang my son to collect me and was home by 1pm.
They tried 3 times to get normal sinus rhythm, I was told it hadn't worked then yesterday at 5pm 2 days after the second cardioversion 24 days after the ablation I went into normal sinus rhythm . I am not sure how long it will last but it is a start.
My son stayed with me overnight 'to be on the safe side' and I am taking things very easy to give my heart the best chance to adjust to the steady heart rate.
So to sum up I found cardioversion a painless quick procedure and nothing to fear and well worth a try.
So good to hear that you have gone back into normal sinus rhythm. There's never any telling what's going to happen in our lives with AF and I bet you were surprised. How long had you been in AF?
Yes, a cardioversion is a doddle once you've experienced having one.
Almost 7 years after diagnosis things got a lot worse in January with 5 days in fast symptomatic AF and 2 days off, that is when I managed to get a clinic appointment and requested to go on the ablation list and cardioversion. Cardioversion was denied because of a long waiting list and that I might go into NSR. In August I went into AF all the time and was exhausted . QOL had become really poor with other health issues too. I was referred to another hospital miles away for an ablation on October the 26th which lasted 4 days then back to constant AF and total exhaustion. ,
I am currently registering 'unclassified' on Kardia but am heartened by managing to revert to NSR on my own for 24hours which bodes well for a second ablation and anything is better than constant AF.
I had a bad bleeding from the groin with the ablation , just unlucky but now regret not going on the ablation list sooner before Covid suspended the waiting list.
If you have symptomatic AF and drugs don't work for you I would recommend an ablation the sooner the better before AF episodes have chance to become to frequent.
What a lovely, reassuring post in two ways:One for those waiting for a cardioversion and second for those facing the prospect of living in Afib permanently. Your long experience and helpful posts make you such a valuable contributer.
Yep, it's certainly the most wonderful feeling when you wake from the short anaesthetic to find yourself in normal sinus rhythm. I grew to love having cardioversions.
Oddly I never ever had the chest burns where the pads had been. It did take ages to get the glue off from where the stickers were though. It may be because they only ever had to zap me once to get me back into normal rhythm. I wouldn't say no to Sam Neill or Charles Dance rubbing the cream in though. Have come face to face with one of them and chatted for quite a while. Still very handsome both of them, despite their age.
I bet it was plastic ham in your sandwich?
That was nice of you to donate decaf. I always used to keep some teabags in a little plastic bag in my handbag.
In fairness, I have to say, they do have nice ham sandwiches.I usually end up with burns front and back. My appointments have been on a Friday, which I quip is a bit insensitive 😁 ........ some of the staff get the joke others not 🙂.
I'm more of a Fernando Alonso or Daniel Craig kinda gal but wouldn't say no to Hugh Laurie as an older option ....... mind you, any port in a storm as they say 😉.
Spot on as usual Jeannie! I’ve had three & have learned that they really are quite a casual affair. My last one (private appt) was done on my consultants way back home in passing from another hospital where he had been practicing that day. Nobody else in for that day, just a quick bump & go for myself on his way home it seems. This couldn’t have been too profitable for the consultant I wouldn’t think when he could have a load of us on one session on another day but proves the great character of some of our medical professionals.
I’ve found that there really is nothing to worry about & the 24hr supervision is probably more about the anaesthetic not the CV.
All 3 have been private. We’re very poorly supported in cardio area here I’m sad to say. I’m fortunate to have insurance through my work. That said, I think it’s often an option worth exploring. I do get to see the bills & they aren’t always as much as you might think. That goes for recent orthopaedic surgery too. In fact, I have a friend that has fallen through the cracks for a hip replacement here - 7years & waiting.
I always try to see the positives in these things & it’s great to read that you’re feeling much better & energetic now though!💪
Thank you for your post, and hope you are doing fine. I am in long standing persistent Afib and am up for a cardioversion next!. In our cardiologt dept they tend to do them on a Sunday morning, so I am on the list...Dont kow if it will work though. I also had an ablation in May and was under anaestheisia for over 4 hours!!. so the cardioversion should be a little more simpler!!... The ablation put me beck in NSR for approx 1 week, then back into Afib!
I'll keep my fingers crossed that your cardioversion will be successful. Let us know how you get on please. A cardioversion takes minutes to do. It's all the hanging around beforehand waiting for your turn and then getting over the small dose of anaesthetic that takes time.
I so agree and thank you for sharing this. I have had six now and like you I agree that (for me) they have been very straightforward and such an amazing relief to wake up in NSR!
Because I also have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy I have been told that one day they will cease working, but I’m really 🙏ing that my recent ablation has worked and I won’t need any more? We’ll see… 🤞☺️
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