Just wanted to update you on the pulse field ablation I had at Papworth hospital yesterday.
The hospital was amazing and the staff were lovely and reassuring.
The whole procedure took about 2 1/2 hours then 30 minutes in recovery then back to the room for 2hours lay down… I was allowed to go 6 hours after the start of the procedure and that was with a GA.
All seems good… only a tiny wound and no bruising to the leg. I was surprised they removed the stitch after only 2 hours!
It will be a while before they can confirm it has completely worked but the EP says it all went fine.
Just wanted to reassure anyone going for an ablation that it is not an ordeal and is over really quickly.
I am advised to take it easy for a couple of days and no heavy lifting or excercise for a couple of weeks then back to normal .
The EP was amazed that the travel insurance company were making me wait 6 weeks before covering me again. But I will take it easy for a while and give everything a good chance to heal.
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Tiff1
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Thank you for sharing Tiff1 👏 so pleased all went smoothly, perhaps you would be kind enough to share your story with the AF Association, personal experiences offer hope and support to many who are facing a similar situation. If you are interested? please visit: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
Hi Jane Finn. I had Pulse Field Ablation in December under GA. Procedure took 2.5 hours but unlike Tiff1, I was kept in overnight due to having a GA - standard apparently at my hospital. Suture removed after 8 hours. No pain or discomfort at all, very slight bruising and back out walking the dog after 3 days. Two months on and feeling fine. Still on meds until the end of blanking period and then to be reviewed.
Sounds like we are on the same path but you are a bit ahead of me. Unfortunately the doctors strike got my new year appointment cancelled. Did you have your ablation at Papworth too.?
It is amazing how quickly they remove the stitch in the groin. They removed mine 2 hours after it went in . I was worried it would bleed but it didn’t and they just put a pressure plaster over it. It’s all very quick and I thought there would be more bruising so pleasantly surprised that there is only a small mark there this morning.
Hope it has worked well for you , just a waiting game now.
Hi Tiff1 - I had mine done at the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin. Lovely facility and great staff. Yes, it's the waiting game. Fingers crossed we're both on way to permanent NSR!
I think it is only done at a few specialist centres in the uk at the moment but they are hopefully going to be training more EP’s to do it , so it may become the method everywhere in the future.
I think the success rate can depend on many thing. I was told that if I had it whilst it was still proximal then the success rate is better. I am still on my normal meds so won’t know how successful until they stop in a few months time. Normal rhythm at the moment 🤞
That sounds very encouraging. I’m glad that it’s all gone well. I’m registered with Barts but I don’t think they use this method yet. Was your AF very symptomatic?
I was diagnosed a few years ago after some scary nights of AF . I was put on Flecainide and Bisoprolol and that has controlled it mostly for the last 18 months. I was told that an early ablation was best. It was a difficult decision when it wasn’t causing too many problems but I’m hoping for a few years off the medications🤞
I was on a 50mg twice daily flecainide and it controlled the AF and the eptopics very well…. I had a few small breakthroughs , maybe once every 6 weeks,but they all resolved on their own . I didn’t have any problems with the drugs but I would prefer not to take them if I can and the EP said have the ablation sooner rather than later . It was a hard decision to go for a procedure when the tablets are working quite well.
Thanks for your reply and information. What do you consider "few small breakthroughs"? Did the EP think the Flecainide would quit working at some point? Best wishes.
When I was put on the flecainide by a cardiologist I went for advice with an EP. I had read the comments on this site and wanted a second opinion.
I was advised that whilst I might be fine on drugs (and many people are on them for years with no problems) they may also stop working at some time and the AF could advance .If I had the op sooner whilst proximal, they get better results.
It is a dilemma and it took me a year to deside to have it done. I’m hoping it has worked and I can get off the tablets soon.
My first AF came on around Covid time and as I was 64 I decided to stop working. But didn’t really change very much .I cook from scratch and am not overweight and I don’t eat meat… I have stopped having any sweeteners in any foods and drink and the EP advocates magnesium so I take some various supplements now. I love to go travelling so just got on with life and tried not to let AF stop me from doing anything.
It’s not fun waiting for the date ! but it really is not as bad as you think it will be. The nurses are great and put you at ease as soon as you arrive.Hope your procedure goes really smoothly and you’ll be surprised how quickly you recover.
Let us know how you get on
Thank you for sharing this. I had the CT with the flush last week at Papworth and now waiting to hear from the EP. Quite anxious about it but the drugs are not quite as effective as they once were so I don't want my AF to keep interrupting my life, ( Christmas Day was a downer!). I will ask about PF ablation when I see the EP.
If the CT is normal (I had one ) then you may well be eligible for the pulse field ablation, you do have to have a GA but to me that was preferable and I have not had any after effects. From what my EP said he prefers the Pulse field as it doesn’t affect other organs surrounding the heart as much ( providing he’s careful of course).It was definitely the only one I wanted.
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