how long to wait for ablation

[Nantoone]

I have been told I need an ablation and wondered how long I might have to wait on the nhs list. Heart rate went over 200 this last weekend so very anxious to get this done as quickly as possible

[Buffafly]

Hi, they give you a waiting time but you can ignore it, especially if you are available to take a cancellation (you have to tell them that). People with an urgent need often get a surprise! 200 bpm is scary, hopefully your rate is now under control.

[Nantoone in reply to Buffafly]

Thank you Buffafly for answering. I’m not sure if 225 would make it a little more urgent or not. Absolutely happy for a cancellation too. I hope you are keeping well and your ablation has kept you in normal rhythm.

[wilsond in reply to Nantoone]

If I were you I'd contact your surgeons secretary and advise them of your situation and that might get quicker action such as a cardioversion whilst waiting or bump.up the queue.Offering to take cancellation appointments is always welcomed by the team too.

What medication are you on meantime? Could your GP or pharmacist advise you?

Good luck xx

[Nantoone in reply to wilsond]

Hi Wilson’s. Just pull in the pocket. Can’t take beta blockers. I am in normal sinus rhythm thankfully so don’t require cardio version.

[wilsond in reply to Nantoone]

Hope you get in soon for ablation, wonderful fir me xxx

[Teresa156]

Hi Nantoone,

I believe it can vary a lot from where you are having it done and dependant on which NHS Trust it is, so you may get quite a few different answers here.

As Buffafly says, tell them you are prepared to take a cancellation. It is usually at least a few months otherwise. The first is usually a cryoblation ( not always but usually I believe) and if you ask for a general anaesthetic with that, rather than sedation, I think the wait may be longer as well.

I also hope your rate is now under control.

[Nantoone in reply to Teresa156]

this would be London. I would definitely want a full general anaesthetic. Have been rushed to hospital three times in as many months because of this. Hoping they will be sympathetic to this

[Buffafly in reply to Nantoone]

As they said you *need* an ablation I should hope it would be soon x

[Teresa156 in reply to Nantoone]

Is this your first ablation? I have seen a previous post about you having had one before? If this is the case, it will be a GA, but a different ablation to your first. Just make sure you tell them you could have a cancellation.

[Nantoone in reply to Teresa156]

Hi Teresa. Yes my second The first was 19 years ago but for ventricular ectopics. This is now atrial

[Karendeena in reply to Teresa156]

My first one at Glenfield was RF ablation under sedation

[Teresa156 in reply to Karendeena]

Yes, I read first ones are usually sedation, but I think Nantoone as already had an ablation, so this may be her second, in which case, it usually is a GA ( from what I’ve read).

[Desanthony]

Just make sure that you tell them you are available for a cancellation. If you have the NHS App you should be able to check on the waiting times on there I know friends of mine in Oxfordshire can - not sure if that is available elsewhere. I myself am still waiting for an e mail confirmation of my details to get on the App here in Wales - it was just made available the week before Easter at our surgery. If not ring the hospital and speak to your EP's secretary and ask and tell them again that you can be available for a cancellation at the same time.

All the best and hope you don't have to wait too long.

[Nantoone in reply to Desanthony]

Thank you so much for your help.

[bean_counter27]

I am surprised they haven't tried changing your medications, especially if they expect an extended wait for you to have ablation. They appear to lack empathy for what you are going through.

[Sarah1356]

I would call your cardiology team and let them know that your heart rate has risen again.Is it staying up or coming back down quickly???

Mine can stay up for over two hours, which is absolutely awful but on those moments I always take myself to a&e. They say if it lasts longer than 20 minutes then go to a&e. You can also do the Vagus Manoeuvre at home to try and bring it down yourself.

Usually they would try you on other medication to help keep you in a normal rhythm but they also stop that medication a few days before your ablation. So I would definitely give them a ring to see whats going on.

I hope that helps a little....

[Nantoone in reply to Sarah1356]

It has come right back to normal. Nothing for two days. Hoping it stays that way

[Sarah1356 in reply to Nantoone]

Fingers crossed for you

[50568789]

Have been on waiting list at Papworth for 26 weeks now, despite availability for cancellations, was told probable wait is 30 weeks so fingers crossed not long to go.

[Nantoone in reply to 50568789]

Hi. Thank you for your reply. I really hope you aren’t editing too much longer. 26 weeks is a long time

[Karendeena]

Hi, I am in Leicester and had to wait over 12 months for Glenfield Hospital

[Speed]

8 months at Brum QE dispite saying available for cancellation though my AF is not that intrusive.

[Icecreamforme]

when you’re in AF with the heart racing, any wait is too long. In your case, 225 it is a trip to A/E or call the ambulance. Don’t wait if it stays up around 200 plus.

You might be given meds in the meantime which can bring that rate down, but nothing will happen if you accept the usual flow of things.

We are selling up in the U.K. to go back to the Channel Islands. Reason? The NHS is not supposed to stand for No Health Service, but I’m afraid it does. Sure we have to pay £68 to see a doctor but we see one within a day or two, and if it’s urgent that wait is reduced to hours. A/E is expensive (typically £500) but again you get treated. Hospital stuff and consultants are free. I’d give it a B- and the U.K. an F.

They do try hard here, but there just isn’t the money and I find that to be deliberate by the government. I feel so bad for the elderly living off one of the worst pensions in Europe at the mercy of an NHS in its death-throes. U.K. citizens deserve better.

[Sixtychick in reply to Icecreamforme]

Can’t complain about the treatment I’ve had in Leicester. When I get AFib, I have to go to A&E, as I get a very fast and irregular heartbeat and my blood pressure soars and the Drs like to keep an eye on me and try to stop it. I get an ECG quite quickly and when they see that, I usually get taken round to Majors. I was well looked after when I had my ablation last year, as well. (I’m hoping the nasty AFib will stay away now)

Let’s hope when we get a change of government, later this year, they do something about the NHS.It is so important to most of us in this country.

[Nantoone in reply to Icecreamforme]

Wow. That’s a drastic move but totally understandable. We all want the best from life but need a life to live.

[Ppiman]

I believe that waiting times are around a year, here, at Leicester hospitals, but vary nationwide.

Are you having symptoms beyond the tachycardia that causes you to want an ablation? So far (fingers crossed), my AF can be coped with by trying hard to avoid the stress of the palpitations and racing feelings and avoiding doing much at all till it passes. The specialist I saw told me last week that he thinks an ablation is the way I will eventually go, though, but I'd rather not.

I was intrigued at your heart rate measurements. As it's not possible to measure the ventricular pulse while the atria are in AF (as the rate is "irregularly irregular", i.e. all over the place), I was wondering how you arrive at the 200bpm? My Apple Watch gives an average but it's rather meaningless looking at the actual pulse - fast-slow-fast-fast-slow!

Steve

[Sixtychick in reply to Ppiman]

Dr Sandilands at Glenfield, has done over 2000 ablations, so if you had him, you’d be in very experienced hands.

[Ppiman in reply to Sixtychick]

He’s the best!

Steve

[Sixtychick in reply to Ppiman]

Yes we’re lucky to have him at Glenfield.

[Ppiman in reply to Sixtychick]

I do hope the unit stays at Glenfield. It seems rather special. Maybe pulsed-field next!!

Steve

[Sixtychick in reply to Ppiman]

I’m sure it will. I believe Glenfield is a renown heart hospital.

[Nantoone in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Steve. The paramedics came and this was on their ecg. Thankfully they gave me a copy for the cardiologist

[Ppiman in reply to Nantoone]

That's excellent as it will be a 12-lead ECG with an AI type analysis on it. The 200bpm will still have been an "average" (to put it mildly). Still - that's fast. Are you on bisoprolol or similar? And how did it make you feel?

Steve

[Nantoone in reply to Ppiman]

Hi steve. I can’t take beta blockers as they make me feel so ill. To be fair I was breathless and got a blinding headache but if I hadn’t been told I would never have guessed it was that high

[Ppiman in reply to Nantoone]

I do wonder if it was that “high” in one sense - the irregularity of the pulse makes it too hard to count. I have seen 180 on my watch a few times but just as often 130. Your symptoms sound just like mine but I don’t feel exactly “breathless” more needing to take a breath (sounds similar, I know - but I’ve read of “air hunger” here and that is nearer to it).

Don’t you have anything to take to bring the racing down - like a pill in the pocket type treatment? That can sometimes stop the arrhythmia itself.

Steve

[Nantoone in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Steve. Yes I have the pill in the pocket which I took within ten minutes. It took around two and a half hours to start coming down.

[Ppiman in reply to Nantoone]

That's about the same with me. My doctor said bisoprolol takes about an hour to work but I think it's slower. I still notice its effects over a day later, too.

Steve

[Nantoone in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Steve. I see that you had an ablation for atrial flutter in 2019. Have you been stable since then? If I were on any medication prior to the ablation (just thinking if things change before I get a chance to have this procedure) would they take me off of them prior to the ablation? Or do you stay on them up to the day before? Also are there any tests that they do prior to the ablation? Do you have to go into hospital say the day before to prepare so to speak? Sorry so many questions.

[Ppiman in reply to Nantoone]

Oh - keep asking! You'll find this forum a treasure trove of useful stuff and friendly people! Mine was for a related arrhythmia called atrial flutter (AFl, which happens mainly in the right side of the atrium, with AF being mainly in the left side around the pulmonary veins). As I was warned, an AFl ablation often "uncovers" a hidden AF, which slowly happened to me since 2019, with more frequent episodes this year than ever.

In terms of the preparation, I think you'll be told to keep taking the anti-coagulant, which seems strange, but to stop any other drugs the day prior to the procedure (it's called that rather than an "op" for some reason. Maybe it's because a surgeon isn't doing it?). The doctors seem to like it if the AF is in process when they do the work, but it isn't necessary. there aren't any test, although an echo-cardiogram (i.e. an ultrasound of the heart) often is done to make sure everything is in the right place and is the right size!

Steve

[Nantoone in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you Steve

[Tamgirl]

I was told 12 months at the beginning of this year and had the ablation last week!

[Nantoone in reply to Tamgirl]

Wow that’s great Tamgirl. How are you feeling? Relieved and a little better I hope

[Tamgirl in reply to Nantoone]

Feeling good so far thanks. This was done at Bristol Heart Institute - I live in Gloucestershire.

[Nantoone in reply to Tamgirl]

Where about about in the country did you get yours done?

[MWIC]

mine was 9 months but think it varies a lot depending on where you are - ask to be put in the cancellation list as this may speed up

[Sixtychick]

I had to wait 18 months for the procedure at Glenfield hospital in Leicester.