Ablation long term effects....

[sunlovah]

Once healed, can an Ablation have any negative long term effects? Will the heart operate with the same- the same strength as pre afib/ablation, no detrimental effects post ablation if then in NSR?

Be interested to hear experiences...TIA

[CDreamer]

I would say yes, ablation could have long term risks but one has to determine if the long term benefits would outweigh any negatives.

[sunlovah in reply to CDreamer]

What are potential long term risks ?

[CDreamer in reply to sunlovah]

The risks involved with procedure itself, ablation worsening arrhythmias - most common being increasing ectopic burden, in my case the sedation and drugs used during the ablation exacerbating an unknown, underlying condition which was far more debilitating than AF. Also common are less serious such as acid reflux and gastric issues. Having said that, serious long term issues are rare.

[Nan1 in reply to CDreamer]

Hi CDreamer, were you treated for the ectopic burden following your ablation. I’m asking as the same has happened in my case

[CDreamer in reply to Nan1]

No because they eventually faded but took about 9-12months but I ended with wide QRS because of Flecainide

[Karendeena in reply to CDreamer]

If you don't mind me asking what did the drugs do to you? I felt terrible after the ablation, couldn't sleep, nightmares, jittery etc which is still with me after 8 weeks! I still don't feel 'right' but not sure if this is stress related as I have this chronically looking after my 96 year old mum and a brother who lives with her and is mentally unstable.

[jeanjeannie50]

Once when admitted to hospital with PAF, after having had 2 ablations, a cardiologist said the scar tissue in my heart may have made my heart a little stiff. Since then I've had a third ablation but now have constant low heart rate AF at 60-90bpm. I've been told that I won't be offered anymore ablations.

Jean

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I can cope with AF much better at this low rate, rather than the very high rates I used to get.

[sunlovah in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Ablation-doesn't affect your every day exercise and activities? (once healed)

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to sunlovah]

I believe its not the effect of the ablation that sometimes holds me back, but the slower rate of AF I have now all the time. I've also got out of the routine of walking longer distances lately as this year I've been hampered by having some small skin cancers removed on my legs.

If your ablation cures your AF you should be able to return to your normal activities.

[sunlovah in reply to jeanjeannie50]

That's reassuring thanks

[BobD Volunteer]

My belief is that whilst it is undeniable that ablation changes the interior of the heart, the damage done by uncontrolled AF can be far worse. There is also quality of life (QOL) to consider. An ablation which stops AF and reduces the need for toxic drugs must be to one's advantage and the greatly increased QOL can not be underestimated.

We are all different of course and life is a risk /benefit game where we all have to make our own choices. I do not regret any of mine.

[sunlovah in reply to BobD]

Can a person still exercise-not over doing it, the same as pre Afib & Ablation?

[CDreamer in reply to sunlovah]

Depends, so many variables. I think it’s easier to say you will never be back to exercise pre AF days.

You are asking questions which have too many variables to say with any certainty and AF and all it’s treatments carry uncertainty and unpredictability.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to sunlovah]

Hard for me to comment since I'm now twenty years older and have no idea how my life would otherwise have developed but I have survived far worse things than AF.

[Iamfuzzyduck in reply to sunlovah]

I’m 7 weeks post ablation and can still run a mile quicker than some of my peers at the gym (not an impressive speed but still). I do crossfit and high intensity workouts. I am not preablation level but I think I will be doing well once the blanking period is over. It is very individual though.

[bean_counter27]

I haven't had an ablation but have read a fair bit about them, knowing that one day I'll probably need to make a decision about having one.

I'm not a medical professional but I would think it would depend on your specific circumstances including your cardiac health generally, the number of ablations you've had, the area(s) of the heart ablated and the quality of the procedure(s).

I would think a well performed pulmonary vein isolation ablation would have minimal impact, if any, on the heart's muscles but as previously stated, I'm not a medical professional.

It's a question best answered by your EP, who will know your circumstances and has the medical knowledge and experience on the subject.

[sunlovah in reply to bean_counter27]

I did ask the EP a leading man in the PFA field, if an ablation could make things worse he said 'no',...promising

[SnowQueenOne]

Hi sunlovah

I've just gone past my 2 year ablation anniversary and for me personally it's been a bumpy road to where I am now. 3 weeks post ablation I was walking 10km a day, split into 3 short walks on the flat over the course of the day, my target was to get back to fitness and do park run the following year. It was probably the best I'd felt in a long time. It never happened. I ended up with a number of respiratory infections which floored me each time along with other health issues (autoimmune disease flared end of 2023) and its only now am I feeling quite good. Started my running again and although still a slog, I can tell I'm doing better. All I would say is everyone is different and listen to your body.

[Ppiman]

From what I have read online, little work has been done to follow up the long term effects of the atrial scarring produced by catheter ablation, but I gather that the normal action of the atrium is permanently negatively affected. Keep in mind, though, that the atrium in AF is already damaged since the AF we see and feel is the product of cellular changes in what is called the atrial "substrate", the cause of which still isn't fully understood.

What has been shown is that all-cause mortality in AF patients is improved following ablation compared with using drugs alone. However, even this finding seems to be tentative since studies are complicated by the difficulties in measuring such diverse groups of people.

Steve

[Desertflowerchild]

This is a great question. I understand in the majority of traditional ablation cases (vs pulsed field ablation) the cross sections of the pulmonary veins are reduced to some extent. In a large minority of pulsed field ablation cases, there is also some narrowing, though lessor on average. That doesn't sound like a good thing, but what do I know.