Asssesment for ablation

[Oak321]

Hi my husband is having an assessment for his 2nd ablation on Friday and was told by the person on the telephone that the ablation would be within 3 months. When he had his ablation last year it was a week after the assessment, has anyone else waited 3 months.He is down as being an urgent case.

[CDreamer]

I think it depends where you have an ablation and who is performing it. 3 months sounds like quite a short wait for NHS. We have had many posters being quoted much longer waits.

Going privately in 2014 and having to travel to London when living in Devon I waited 6 weeks.

Is there a specific reason why it is urgent as AF is not normally life threatening unless heart rate cannot be controlled or there is evidence of a danger of more dangerous arrythmias being triggered.

Of course the sooner the ablation the better the chance of successful outcome. Is AF paroxysmal or persistent?

[Oak321 in reply to CDreamer]

Hi thanks for your reply. The reason he is classed as urgent is because since having the ablation last June he has had continuous problems after a year of no symptoms. He is also quite intolerant to a lot of the medication. He saw the EP privately in December who said he now has atrial flutter which needs ablating and he would put him on the urgent list. His pre assessment is on Friday the person on the phone said the ablation would be within 3 months but when he had the pre assessment last year he has the ablation 1week later. I guess he will find out on Friday.

[Buzby62]

Was his first CRYO under sedation and the second RF touchup under GA I wonder. I believe that is the norm in the NHS at the moment, or at least it is in my centre. It would appear to be a strategy to get through the first timers waiting list without needing an anaesthetist which there are not enough of and an RF touchup may be needed for some but not all. I know some will say they’ve had both under sedation but my centre do all RFs under GA. I was told the wait for GA is longer.

Just my thoughts from what I picked up on my EP consultation in September prior to cryoablation six weeks ago, early December

[Oak321 in reply to Buzby62]

Hi thanks for your reply the 1st was sedation not sure what this one will be I think he would prefer GA.

[Outsidethelines]

I’ve been on the waiting list for an RF ablation with GA since July, with a provisional date at the end of March. I haven’t yet checked if that date has since slipped back, with all the doctors’ strikes, etc

[Oak321 in reply to Outsidethelines]

Hi thanks for your reply, have you had your pre assessment yet?

[Outsidethelines in reply to Oak321]

I don’t think so but I’m not sure. I did have an outpatient appointment at the hospital back in the summer, where they checked my height and weight, but I think you need to have the pre-op within 6 months of the operation, don’t you?

[Singwell]

3 months isn't a long wait. I waited 9 in both cases.

[Oak321 in reply to Singwell]

Hi thanks for your reply I agree 3 months is not a long wait, he was waiting 13 months for his first one. I was just querying the 3 months after pre assessment with it only being a week last time.

[JeanetteH]

I had about a 3 month wait for my ablation.

[Oak321 in reply to JeanetteH]

Hi thanks for the reply, was this from the pre assessment?

[JeanetteH in reply to Oak321]

I had had 2 ablations and it was suggested I have a third at my annual check up so I guess 3 months from then.The preop assessment was nearer the time.The cardiologist said ablations had always been priority.

[Coco51]

I waited 5 months for the first Ablation and 7 for the second. The EP said he'd cancelled many lists for lack of an anaesthetist. He also started to refuse to do extra sessions to make up the backlog because he feared burn out and needed time for his academic work.

Another EP I saw privately at a different hospital did work extra lists had a only a 2 month NHS waiting list. He offered to put me on his NHS list, but by that time it was only 2 months away from my scheduled ablation so I didn't take up the opportunity.

I wish now for many reasons I had changed hospital .... but that's another story!

That said, having a pre-op assessment 3 months before the ablation seems a bit early. Mine have been a week before. Perhaps your husband's procedure will come sooner?🤞