Hi all,
I thought i'd give a quick update on my ablation I had 2 years ago come Feb 2024. I'm pleased to say I'm still free of AF and so glad I made the decision to have the op. If anyone is considering having an ablation I would recommend it, it certainly gave me my life back after having AF attacks 2 times a week.
Dave
Great news Dave, which will be encouraging for many………
Great news, congratulations
That's so good to hear.
Would you mind saying where you had your ablation. Was it an RF one or cryoablation?
Jean
Hi Jean, I had it done my Dr Tan and Basildon Hospital in Essex. Yes it was a cryoablation
Thank you.
excellent news! Happy 2 year anniversary
Great news!
Excellent news Dave…I was thinking about you the other day and wondering how you were. Two years is amazing. Long may it continue, how fabulous.
I’m on the list too now for Basildon for next May 😊 ( it was bound to happen!)
Thanks Teresa. Good luck, your in very good hands over there. Absolutely painless op, quick in and out, nothing to worry about, just look forward to being fixed 
Thanks for the post, it’s so easy for the successes not to be seen again on the forum. Great encouragement for all us planning the same, my Cryo is next week.
Hay good luck, nothing to worry about with this op. You may get a few blips in your heart for 3 months after but that's expected until it settles. I was back in the gym 4 times a week 3 months after op and off all meds apart from 50mg of flecainide twice a day. I can live with that :). The only thing I would say that helped me, when I now go to bed I NEVER lay of my left side first. When first getting in bed on my left side it always used to bring on AF. Now out of habit I only lay on my right for the first 5 minutes. Good luck
It's great to hear good results as we do more frequently hear of the difficulties.
Great to hear your news Dave and so glad you’re AF free. I had my ablation nearly nine weeks ago so I’m nearly through blanking period and your post brings me hope! Like you say, the procedure is painless and I’m just taking things very easy.
Stay positive and when you feel up to it try to get active starting slowly, it will pay dividends in the end. 👍
That's' great news I love the positive stories that come out of here, did you make any lifestyle changes after your ablation?
Not really but got my confidence back to get into the gym without panicking I was going to have a heart attack if I worked out :). Im now 59, before the ablation I felt 80, now I feel 30 thank god,
great news Dave. Well done. Did you have many af attacks during the blanking period?
Thanks I had 1 (10 sec blip attack) and felt my heart skip very occasionally which slowly wore off 3 months after of op.
Excellent. I had my 2nd ablation 3 months ago.
Had 5 episodes between week 5 and 8. Nothing for last month though.
Well done
1 30 second attack that was it
That is brilliant.
you back giving it 100% in the gym ?
110% weight lifting
well done mate, good to hear some positive stories. Can I ask why the EP kept you on Flecainide, I understand they tend to do it for a few months post Op
Apparently they told me having a ablation isn't a cure so they want to keep you on meds forever. I told them I want to come off meds so I had my flecainide reduced to 50mg from a 100mg twice a day with no issues. To be honest I have no problem staying on this as I dont want to push my luck
Fair enough Dave there’s many on this forum that have been on Flecainide for many many years with no issues.
Hi Dave, it’s really great to hear your positive ablation story. Are you continuing on any other meds in addition to the Flecainide? I’ve got a provisional date for an ablation in March, and they seem to want me on a cocktail of drugs in the run-up to it. But I never thought to ask them about what I’ll be expected to take afterwards, or how long for. I’ve never been one for popping pills as a normal rule, but obviously I’m not going to do anything to jinx this operation, as the AF is really messing things up for me now.
No 50 mg Flecainide is all i'm now. Good luck with the op
Oh, that gives me hope. Thank you🙂
Hi Dave, good to hear you are continuing AF free! Your post was timely as I saw my cardiologist yesterday as a I’ve been in permanent AFib for 2 years and, despite 2 cardioversions, it keeps coming back despite me living healthily etc. I’ve been really struggling with it for the last six months. He said he will carry out a 3rd Cardioversion but if that didn’t hold then he recommends an ablation which sounds scary! However, reading your positive post has reassured me, Thankyou!
Not scary .I am dreading my pending tooth extraction more.Feb 22 still in NSR.
I think a lot of people have dentist phobia (me included) and would empathise with you on that!
They told me I was heading for permanent AFib thats why I went for it. Good luck if you decide to go for the other op. AF is a horrible thing to live with so I feel for you.
Thankyou - it seems to affect people differently. Some can ‘live with it’ others like myself find it blights my enjoyment of life and I feel exhausted all the time. Here’s hoping the Cardioversion will hold this time but if not Im more reassured re ablation option. 🙂
Wow, Dave, such positive news, and talk about timely! I am booked in this Friday at Basildon! So pleased to hear your story. All the best for your continued good health.
Hay good luck tomorrow, you will be fine. Basildon has an amazing heart unit. Whos your doctor?
All done. Sitting up having lunch. Very positive experience. Dr Neil Srinivasan. Amazing staff. Here's to the future.
Well done, take it easy, maybe let us know how you’re doing on a new post when you’re up to it. Good luck, I’m a week behind you 🤞
Great good luck and look forward to a better life changing future
Really pleased for you.Long may you stay in NSR.
great to hear about your ablation success. Thanks for letting us know. I had mine 2 weeks ago and I am glad I did. But I am still v nervous that AF will return and that I will have blighted my chances somehow by being too active, too soon. I have been trying to keep exercise on a low setting, but I know once or twice my HR went right up, without me even trying! Is that just the heart trying to heal or something?
As you say, ablation is not a permanent cure, so what can we expect? Will AF just come back one day do you think?
Sorry for all the questions!
Happy you are back in the gym…I cannot wait to get back to it myself.
There's no point being nervous thinking AF will come back some day. If you get the chance to live AF free even if its for a number of years its worth taking the op option if offered. When I had AF I struggled to walk the dogs as I couldnt catch my breath which caused me to panic making thing worse. The best thing I brought was an apple watch so I can track my heart every second of the day :). I believe fitness is key to keeping AF away.
Thats good advice thanks. I will try and think less about AF and look forward. I have been so focused on AF for over a year now and i need to reset my mindset.Thanks
Yes stay positive. AF won't kill you it just makes you feel crap 
That is good positive news - I too had my cryo in Aug 2021 at St Barts and I am still AF free. I will post a fresh update on the AF site ASAP.
Nice well done
That's encouraging to hear. I had my ablation in August this year (RF) and had a full-blown attack on the second night but I think I did too much etc. Then things went well but after 11 weeks I had another but it was fairly short-lived. It woke me up about 3.30 and I went back to sleep and when I woke again at about 5.30 - 6.00am, it had gone. That was on 24 Oct and all OK since. I've had my 24hr Holter monitor and all was fine with that and I have my follow-up OPA in January. My EP took me off all meds (300mg Diltiazem and PIP 100mg Flecainide) apart from Rivaroxaban after the ablation, saying he would reinstate a BP med if required at follow-up. However, after the AF episode the day after ablation, he said he was happy for me to restart the Diltiazem but to avoid the Flecainide if possible so that's what I've done. I am very hopeful of success and don't worry too much about a recurrence now whereas before, I was checking the calendar every week as the episodes were about every 10 days.
When you AF free for 3 months you should be able to come off Rivaroxaban which I was on. Good luck with your recovery. This can take upto 6 months to settle
That’s great to hear Dave - just heard mine is in 2 weeks after a long wait - didn’t think would be before Xmas tbh and mixed feelings tbh - brain suddenly gone into a spin and now hoping all my kids can get back before it so I’ve seen them
Good luck, once you have it done your feel so much better I'm sure. Can be life changing so 2024 could be a good year for you
Congrats Dave- what significant lifestyle changes did you make? Sounds like you got back in the gym- what about eating/drinking habits? Stop drinking alcohol? caffeine limits? More green veggies?
Thanks!
Apart from working out no other changes
Congrats on being Afib free for two years now. I will have my second Ablation this coming Tuesday, Dec. 5. I had my first one - a cryoablation in March of 2022 which worked very well until August of this year when I had my first real Afib episode followed by several short ones and many ectopics which were probably caused by the RSV and flu shots I got. This Ablation will be a RF (heat) one and with different EP as we have moved. Hoping for the best. Glad you are doing so well. Thanks for the encouraging message.
Good luck tues, im sure this one will work out longer term this time
nice one dave, really pleased for you mate.👍
Fantastic! I just reached the end of my blanking period after my 2nd ablation and have just been given the thumbs up for stopping all the meds i have been on for years (flec, dilitiazem, and Eliquis) Feels weird to not be popping the pills, but am excited. After my first ablation i only made it like 10 days before the Afib beast was back...so hopefully better results this time. What a mystery a lot if it still is. Thanks for sharing your good news and results! Gives us all on this conveyor belt some good result vibes!
thanks
Update from yesterday's ablation.
Update on my Pace and Ablate 
Pace and ablate update 
