I have an ablation booked for next week ( pulse field at Papworth) and was wondering when I might feel good to travel after the procedure…. Or at least what others have experienced.
I have a daughter living in Europe and I want to go out there as soon as possible .
My travel insurance have told me that they will look at the situation 6 weeks after the ablation and hopefully reinstate their cover but probably at an extra cost.
I was wondering if this is about the right time for feeling up to traveling again post procedure or if I will need more time to recover.
I have had PAF for about 3 years now, mostly kept in check for the last 18months with daily Flecainde 50x2 and Biso 1.25 x2 daily and am a 68 year old woman.
I suppose I am wondering how long it might take to feel okay again post procedure as I am going into this feeling fine at the moment and love to travel.
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Tiff1
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Ablation recovery is a very individual thing. Some are able to fly within a week and others may take more than a month to get the needed strength back. I fell into the latter group, but you may be lucky. Only advice is to listen to your body and not on any pre-set schedules.
From personal experience and reading, I have found that ep's tend to minimize recovery time, so keep that in mind if they tell you that you can do anything you want in a week.
Yes the ep is definitely doing that… I should be fine in a day or two and not to worry .
Hoping he’s right but so often read on this site that it might take longer and the travel insurance company have withdrawn my cover now for a couple of months as they say complications can occur.
Follow the money The insurance company here may know best. Good luck and let's hope your Papworth ep is right. They are tops in the field, but again, ep's are better at the procedure than accessing and managing the recovery. Something tells me that the PA's and nurses don't like to bother them much with those "small details"
I think this is spot on - I had an ablation when I was 45 and second one at 47 and both times I didn't feel like I needed any recovery time, except the time needed for the wounds in my groin to heal.
As usual I agree with Jim 😊. After my first I was told I could jog after a few weeks. In reality it was four months before I could walk a brisk four miles. Three months before I could walk much at all but then recovery speeded up.
Recovery is individual- travel can be stressful. I travelled 10 days after ablation and my doctor of the time couldn’t see why not and said he had patients who flew home a day or after ablation - he went to say he personally wouldn’t want to do that and wouldn’t recommend it.
GA or sedation? It will take you much longer to recover after GA.
I don’t react well to GA so I had light sedation. Everyone reacts differently but GA can take days if not weeks to clear your system and has different effects on different people. Most common is brain fog.
Pulsed Field is relatively new and I believe much more accurate. My 2 ablations were 10 years ago so the technology is now much, much better, imaging is better, EPs are better trained and much more knowledgeable so bodes well. Take your time and don’t commit to doing too much, too soon and above listen to your body, it’s much wiser than your mind - fatigue can come on fast so the secret is to rest before the fatigue sets in, your body has a lot of healing to do following ablation.
Hi Tiff - Another reason to be cautious is the fact that during the ablation your EP will punch a hole through the septum between your left & right atria. This takes some time to heal and thus you maybe weaker post procedure than you are now.
It is so hard to know what to plan over the coming weeks, especially with being asked about holiday planning. I will need to keep a free diary for at least the next couple of months I think
It took me a full 8 or 9 weeks to truly get back my stamina, but I was determined to go at my body’s own pace, small steps at a time. After a month I gradually started small journeys by car before progressing to train and longer journeys. Four months on I think I’d still be nervous of flying, but then I always was!
Sometimes you can push things with convalescence- like if you have a sprained ankle it’s good to weight-bear on it. But your heart in convalescence from cardio ablation needs your patience.
The recommendation from my EP has always been to walk at a good pace for at least half hour a day and I’ve tried to keep that going as a baseline. Then I have some exercises printed out from the NHS website for sitting exercises and some for older people. I’m still avoiding squats as I was doing a load of these around the time my AF started - maybe coincidental but I’m being cautious. I have some (light) weights and leave them out to use in passing. I keep a health journal for planning, reflecting and reviewing progress. I include in this headings such as “social”, “creativity”, “”meditation” as much as exercise because they are all part of healing. No one sees the journal so if a couple of pages turn into a rant so be it! I’m 70, and getting my stamina back has been as much about being courageous in small ways as it has about keeping fit. I’ve eaten a healthy diet for years and am (just!) within a healthy weight. I hope this helps 😊
I had an ablation procedure about 10 years ago. After the op. I found my normal pulse rate had become much higher (gone from 60 bpm to 95 at rest) I also had AF a few times in the following months post op. It took about 3 or 4 months to all settle down and for my pulse to be 70 bpm as the norm. I got about 9 years of being completely clear of A.F attacks . Prior to the op. I had been controlling A.F with pill in the pocket flecinide. With A.F returning now , I am on the waiting list for a further ablation. My suggestion is to wait and see how you feel post op. and you’ll know yourself.
I had a successful Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) in Liverpool (RLHC Hospital) under GA in September 2022. I wasn’t offered sedation as I was advised that it wasn’t recommended with PFA, which was absolutely fine with me! I recovered fairly quickly and well (groin bruising took a while to settle) and as I recall I felt I could do more sooner (as I had been told by the EP). However, I did err on the side of caution and generally followed the AFA guidelines (as Bob’s link).
Physically I suspect I would have been fine flying after 6 weeks (assuming insurance cover) but mentally not so sure as I’d gone into (what became) persistent AF on a flight in May 2022 (see my previous posts for background). I’ve flown a few times since (2023/4) and as far as I’m aware remain in sinus rhythm (I don’t monitor). I do have palpitations occasionally, especially in the early days after the PFA. I hope all goes well for you and you get to travel sooner rather than later 🤞😊
Not that I’m aware of and not in my case - I used to have occasional palpitations before the ablation (when my AF was VERY paroxysmal- 3 episodes in 17 years) but not too bad and not very often. I was warned I might get more after the ablation for a while, but they would soon settle down (which they did).
Every ablation has a different recovery time. If you could possibly wait 2 months after your ablation that in my mind would be ideal. I've had 3 ablations and after the first two which were under sedation I felt dreadful and tired easily for a couple of months. After my third which was with a general anaesthetic I felt well immediately, but still tired quickly if I attempted to walk too far. I far preferred the GA to sedation and picked up quicker after that one, despite what others have said here.
Its strange after an ablation because you can feel really well and able to do anything, but try to walk too far and you may come over extremely tired and feel unable to walk another step. I'd make your daughter aware of how you may not be able to do too much, especially if she loves walking.
The scarring in your heart needs to heal. If you had a sore scab on your knee, would you keep bending it. No, you'd give it time to heal. I do wonder if making our heart pump more vigorously disturbs the scarring being made to block the rogue AF pulses inside the heart.
After my first ablation I remember asking a consultant how long it would be before I could climb mountains again. The answer was 'In days'. Hah fat lot he knew! For me that would have been impossible for several months - even if then.
I’ve always been told that the first couple of weeks are the golden time for recovery. It doesn’t matter how much you rest after that you can never regain that special healing period. As Bob says lift nothing heavier than the TV remote and rest for the first two weeks then gradually start walking and doing more and I believe the overall healing process will be faster than doing too much too soon. I hope the procedure goes well for you.
Hi - as others have said it’s not clear how long this might be as depends how you react to the Op. I can tell you my experience so far - ablation on 15 Dec > 1st week felt great and no problems > next 2 1/2 weeks HR up to 160 and stayed that way for 4 days, A&E Xmas day and brought down at A&E, next day 160 again and stayed that way for 5 days, finally came down> last 2 weeks and it’s settled - Arrhythmia nurse advised likely due to inflammation caused by the procedure and I agree with that. I’ll be 6 weeks post procedure tomorrow and into 3rd week feeling like the worst is over - I would give it the time you need and take things easy for at least the first 6 weeks but that’s just based on my experience - best of luck with the procedure and recovery and the chance of being AF free ☘️☘️☘️
Yeah wasn’t the greatest experience for sure but you get through it and few weeks further in I’m in a completely different place so all worth it if it works or improves it - before the Op I had an episode every 2 days at best so now 3 weeks without which is great
Like most are saying, listen to your body. I’ve had two pulse field ablations under GA and I’m 61, fit and apart from AF, healthy. After both I had a little discomfort in the groin area for a day but after that felt fine. The bruising colours were the best guide for me and they were gone within a week. Due to work I have to fly frequently and on both occasions I was flying within 10 days with no issues. But I think this will vary from person to person. I think the PFA option certainly reduces the risks and possibly the recovery time. Good luck.
Yes, GA both times and absolutely no side effects. Some people talk about grogginess, nausea and lack of mental agility initially, but I had none of that. The procedures were relatively short - 4hrs + 2.5hrs respectively, so perhaps that helped, but honestly, I felt fine. The only thing I didn't enjoy was having to remain lying for 7 hours -- really dull but necessary!
The length of time post-op for remaining in bed may vary but that's what my EP insisted upon. I downloaded a TV series on to an iPad in the hope of being gripped and not noticing the time slip by!!
I expect my insurance cost will go up somewhat , I have an annual policy and they wouldn’t give me a future price. Just said to call back 6 weeks after the op.
I traveled 2 weeks after mine last year. Southern California Coast. I took a break from running, but otherwise just fine. Don't worry too much about it.
Hi, other consideration maybe change to your meds after ablation. You don't mention blood thinners so I'm surprised you are not on those. I found when ablation or cardioversion worked there was no need for Bisoprolol as it took my HR too low and made me feel ill, but as people say see how you feel and don't rush it.
I am hoping to lower or stop the Biso as my blood pressure and heart rate have lowered considerably lately… the ep thinks that will be possible and then the flecainide but no guarantees
I had extensive ablation in September. After about four weeks I started to feel a little frustrated as I was still struggling with shortness of breath, but now feel I am back to strength.
The important thing is that you may still have rhythm problems during the first three months. I suspect this is the reason for your insurers suspension, as you may need further treatment.
If you have no symptoms after 3 months, as was thankfully the case for me, then it can be assumed with greater confidence that the procedure has been a success.
Even had I felt well enough, as many do much earlier, I would personally not travel until 3months rather than risk needing treatment without the reassurance of being near to Papworth.
I am planning a foreign holiday soon, happy travels ⛵
I’ve had 2 ablations. First time I stayed overnight in the hospital. Second time went home the same day. Felt fine the next day both times. Traveled back home (1,500 mile drive) a week later both times.
I will be staying overnight at the hospital but plan to travel home the next day… only 80 miles in the car… I am wondering if an extra night in a hotel in Cambridge might be worthwhile or will the journey be uncomfortable?Does the groin wound feel okay quite quickly?
I think it's very personal but after all 3 of mine I needed a lot of time to recover. In fact I haven't attempted overseas travel since and the last one was 14 months ago.That's a personal choice though based on a long history of AF, not wanting to disrupt things as I've been AF free for 8 months now for the first time in 20 years, and also not wanting to pay huge travel insurance costs. Waiting for things to settle first. And happy to wait rather than undo all the efforts of the EP and my own efforts (had 3 ablations in a year- don't want to go back there!).
I think I would feel the same under those circumstances. My daughter is in Switzerland so I am keen to join her again as soon as possible which is why I’m hoping to get travelling again as soon as possible.
I hope you continue to recover and feel more confident to travel very soon.
What a lovely response. Thanks. Its not something I am taking for granted. I'm not anxious about it, just appreciative !I really hope it goes well for you and you are visiting your daughter again soon 😊
I’ve an ablation booked for the 20th Feb, so this threads come in handy.
I have questions if thats ok.
I’ve a residential course booked for about 3/4 weeks after and wondering if I should cancel it, I stand to lose a lot of money if I have to cancel too late. Any advice?
We’ve got a 3 wk holiday to Italy booked for June and hoping I’ll be fine by then, but depends on insurance ppl.
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The insurance company here may know best. Good luck and let's hope your Papworth ep is right. They are tops in the field, but again, ep's are better at the procedure than accessing and managing the recovery. Something tells me that the PA's and nurses don't like to bother them much with those "small details" 
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