I'm 82. retired US nurse-anesthetist. I had the ablation for paroxysmal Afib April 15 ,It wasn't a difficult experience considering I am a high-risk anesthesia patient due to scoliotic restrictive lung disease and asthma. It only took about 1,1/2 hrs. (I have all the records on my patient portal.) They can do it under sedation, but I needed general anesthesia because of the asthma and woke up fine. This was Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City by Dr. Vivek Reddy who is actually a top name researcher.
I am still recovering because I have these other issues: polymyalgia rheumatica on long term steroids, secondary adrenal insufficiency and asthma. This is my 3rd month and I am resuming exercises and feeling better. The Practice tells me it take 3 months after an ablation for the heart to totally heal.
I have at times felt some ectopy but it never shows up as afib on my Apple watch. Always sinus rhythm by the time I activate my watch. The practice told me that is normal during healing.
I don't think we can compare our hearts: we are all wired a little differently. Think of the assorted arrythmias people have.
I would not want to be on the meds. F[ecainide, though effective, bothered my gut within several hours after taking the 50 mg 2x a day. The problem was excessive wind; I have IBS. I even had extensive bowel Xrays to look for an organic cause nothing found. It was a great relief stopping the drug 4 weeks post ablation- wind free.
Diltiazem made my ankles swell and it enhances the action of any steroids one takes be it Inhaler, nasal spray or systemic like me. After some months I developed moon face so I discontinued the asthma inhaler for awhile and it went down.