Post Ablation

[Kjsp]

Good morning,

This is a long one so Thankyou if you get to the end!

I had my 3rd Ablation last Thursday 18th Jan at St Bart’s . It was a fairly complex one and resulted in going from sedation to a general anesetic during procedure.

I had an overnight stay and was discharged Friday afternoon. I was given a regime of low dose flecanide and metoprolol twice daily for a month to try and keep things calm.

I went into AF that evening and again during the weekend. I was sort of expecting it but am fully aware of blanking period so still hold out hope !

In the early hours of Monday I started getting pauses , like when I revert from AF to NSR but I was staying in AF. The pauses were getting more frequent and I was feeling pretty unwell . I phoned Bart’s emergency arrhythmia nurses and was told 999 immediately!

After blue lights and several hours in the local A and E dept keeping them all on their toes amazed at my ecgs!!

I was admitted to cardiac ward and here I am resting up. The plan seems to be a pacemaker due

to Sick sinus syndrome . Unfortunately due to recent ablation and the need for anticoagulant , not sure when that is going to happen.

Needless to say I have been in NSR since on ward! Groin bruising is very minor and no pain in that area.

I just feel like now I have got 2 hospitals / care plans/ doctors looking out for me . I’m hoping they will communicate .

I just wanted to share my experience with you and any thoughts , suggestions or words of wisdom gratefully received.

You are such a kind , knowledgable group of people and always manage to lift me up when things are down

Thankyou

[BobD Volunteer]

Interesting but not entirely unknown I think. After my last (atrial tachycardia) ablation in 2019 I went into very fast AFor something in recovery and was given flecianide IV and kept in over night. Next morning ECG showed some very odd things and one of the cardiologists (not my EP) said I had to stay in till the following week and have a pacemaker. I persuaded them to contact my EP who said no. the block was due to the "shed load" of flecainide I had in recovery so after two days I was allowed home.

Eventually three years later having reviewed a number of ECGs my EP convinced me that he would sleep better if I accepted a pacemakerwhich I subesquently had fitted. It is set as a safety net rate of 60 so seldom kicks in.

[Kjsp in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob

Just seen doctor again and they are going to play the waiting game. I intended having a month of work to recover from ablation so I guess being in hospital and looked after 24/7 is kind of reassuring. NHS at their best !

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Kjsp]

After my 3rd ablation, the following day before leaving hospital I went into tachycardia . I was kept in for another day and it reverted back to normal rhythm. Home I went but it kicked off again in AF about 4-5 weeks later and I was cardioverted back to normal rhythm. From then I had bouts of AF that mostly needed cardioversions to halt. My EP said to me that some people aren't helped by ablations and I was one of them. After having two cardioversions in 2019 (I think) I was told that I wouldn't be offered anymore. Since being in permanent AF I feel quite well, though it took a while for my heart to settle. My heart rate now flips between 60-90bpm and I feel fine and can do anything.

Jean

[Kjsp in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks for replying Jean

I think this ablation was last chance so it will be the drug route for me possibly . Before ablation my resting heart rate was around 40 so drugs on permanent basis wouldn’t work for me, but I guess with pacemaker I would be able to tolerate drugs. I think this is my understanding of my present situation

[2learn in reply to BobD]

Hi, I've got PM and set to 60 but that is to stop my HR going below, How does PM help AF where you usually have a high HR. Something to stop HR from going to high is something different and I think its what recent footie player cases have been fitted with.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to 2learn]

PM will not stop AF. If AV node ablated then patient is PM dependent and HR will be governed by PM whilst AF can continue in left atrium without affecting energy etc.

[Golfer60UK]

Good morning Kjsp from a murky West Country day, I am a little like yourself in that the first thing happened whilst out on the golf course where I passed out, coming to flat on my back hanging onto my trolley. After tests was told I had AF.

Medication next which was partly successful but I still passed out again, although it was a very short episode. Had two ablations which both lasted a few hours before back into AF

After a discussion with my Cardiologist I had a Pacemaker fitted with an AV node ablated. Since then now only take a blood thinner to avoid (I hope) a stroke, all other medication re AF stopped.

This was in 2021 and now I am back playing golf 3 x times per week, weather permitting, with a pretty normal lifestyle elsewhere. I am male and shortly will be 79.

Best of Luck

Dave

[Kjsp in reply to Golfer60UK]

Thanks for your reply Dave

Good to hear that life is good for you ! It’s the positive stories that keep me strong x

[Ppiman]

You know what I think? The ablation will prove a success and all will be fine. This was your heart responding to the extra burning and previous scarring. I do hope so, anyway!

Steve

[Kjsp in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks Steve 🤞

[Snowgirl65]

It's a scary situation going through something like that (similar has happened to me) -- I hope things get resolved soon for you.