I had my ablation 5 weeks ago which I was told was a success. Unfortunately I’ve gone back into atrial fibrillation and it’s been ongoing for the last 2 days . I know I’m in the 3 month blanking period but I just feel I’m back to square one.
Has anyone else experienced this after such a short period of time? Just hoping it will go back into rhythm soon.
Hi, you should contact your arrhythmia nurses and let them know. If you have a device that records it then send them the trace, if not you should be able to get an ECG from your GP or the arrhythmia nurses may have you in for an ECG. I had all this info and contact details in the pack for my cryoablation. Don’t just sit it out unless that’s what they advise.
I had episodes at 1 week and 10 weeks but self reverted to NSR. See my bio.
Hope it settles for you, best wishes
Yes, the same thing happened to me. I went back to the hospital and my EP cardioverted me. That was several years ago and I've rarely had a fast heart race since. Don't give up hope just yet.
Speak to your arrhythmia nurse. If you are still anticoagulated they can cardiovert you.
Thanks for your advice. I contacted my arrhythmia nurse this morning and she said it’s very common to experience episodes like these and as long as it’s not causing me to feel unwell to carry on until I’m seen in outpatients for follow up in 3 months. I said what if it doesn’t revert back into sinus rhythm is it safe for me to wait for my appointment. She said it would then be addressed in the follow up appointment.
Hi
If you stay in Afib until your next appointement ( about 5 weeks away?) it may be more difficult to convert you back. I agree with Jean - it might be a good idea to see if you can be converted before if it continues. I was medically converted and so far apart from 2 blips have remained in NSR since then.
Take care
I agree that’s ridiculous. The longer you’re like that the more your heart is being damaged. My being in tachycardia for so long caused my heart failure. I would make some noise if I were you.
Hi Bob, you say if are anti coagulated they can cardiovert you, is that a golden rule, i ask because i underwent cardioversion whilst not anti coagulated, too late now but just wondering, thanks.
If you are cardioverted within 24 hours of starting an AF event they can usually do it. Sometimes they will use an ultra sound device known as TOE (Tran oesphageal echo cardiogram) to check that there are no clots formed in your heart otherwise it could cause a stroke. The limit is usally 48 hours.
After my first ablation I stopped anticoagulation and subsequently went back into AF so had TOE first since when I will never stop my warfarin.
my EP does TOE as you reminded me what it was called both cardioversions even though I was on my anticoagulant nor will I ever go off of it. The doctor said it and I agree it’s not worth the chance. It doesn’t bother me at all that I know of. If it is bothering me, I’m not sure how because I’m like an old car falling apart anyway there is nothing scary going on at my annual. It showed my numbers for a year right up to the day. I was sitting there with the doctor telling me. He was over the moon he so happy with what has gone on with me or I should say what has not gone on with me. I have gotten flutter a couple of times it turns out ice cream and what is funny is. It’s like an ice cream headache but I get a little pain right where my heart is lol that is the brain of my body right lol over eating and Icy cold sangria on a triple digit weather day in Texas also triggers. I tell people common sense but I messed up also.
Hi Dizzy, I had similar experience last October just a few weeks after ablation. They gave me a cardioversion and my heart has been in NSR since 🤞even though CV never worked for longer than a week in the past. I would definitely get back to your cardio team.
hello dizzy, Ablation has not made sense too me and have been waiting for science to invent a new proceedure. I’m convinced my afib started vagally And as it connects on the outside of heart , why go through leg? I have APS, which complicates things, and what are you going to hit from the inside of heart?
I had hopes for your pulsed field ablation, and is still under consideration, This winter I’m planning on trying a proceedure called the mini- maze. I’m thinking mini refers to proceedure going under sternum? For Better recovery time
Learned of it on the YouTube A Dr. Wolf, who is the inventor works at Huston Methodist (debacky heart section). All the best, from all of us.
I'm not really sure what your talking about with your aversions to ablation but it would be nice if you could tell us how you get on with the mini maze when you have that. That would be good. Best of luck on that .Phil
Here in the states, ablation is successful one out of three and even a fourth or fifth, is not a guarantee. I have Hughes disease ( thick blood) that has caused problems with other procedures. Mini maze goes under sternum and maze is open heart through ribs I believe, but, it’s successful the first time from my research. Mini maze is said to have a two day hospital stay.
The inventor,Dr. Wolf is on YouTube from Huston methodist( debakey unit for more info) I would prefer burning going through outside, instead of inside of heart blindly. I mentioned before why burn from inside the heart when vagus nerve connection is on the outside.
Tell me more about your thoughts about Afib being started by/through the Vagus Nerve? Thanks.
Catheter ablation has an 84% success rate for 65-75yr old patients and mini maze has a 70-90% success rate so in my opinion I will try the tried and trusted method first. Best of luck on your procedure and interested to hear the results.
I had a radiofrequency ablation in March this year and no episodes that I am aware of since. Just had a 24 hour holter monitor part of the follow up so 🤞all will be well.
Ideally you need a strategy to stop the AF event from going on longer. As others have suggested, contact the Arrythmia Nurse. I stayed on a low dose of meds post ablation but could take extra if needed on advice. That said, outbreaks are normal in the blanking period. The main thing is to terminate the episode and get back into sinus rhythm while your scar tissue heals.
Are you still on low dose meds? I had my ablation in March and my EP won't let me stop the antiarrhythmics
No. I stayed on the March till January then slowly titrated. Watch out if you're on Diltiazem- I had quite weird withdrawal symptoms. The Flecainide was OK. I'm only on anticoagulants now but I have the Flecainide as a PiP because AF didn't go away altogether.
From March till January? 10 months? I am on Sotalol?
Yes, 10 months. I might have reduced my Flecainide to 25 X 2 a day. But one thing I did during that time was upload levothyroxine for my long term subclinical hypothyroidism. So we knew my metabolic rate would increase, so we didn't want to make too many changes at the same time. Solatol is a BB I think? When the time comes, ask others about titration. I haven't done it with BBs
Contact the nurses or consultant where you had the procedure as soon as you can for advice.
I had something called Atrial Flutter 2-4 days after ablation. Called in & they said that was NOT afib not to worry as it is very common. Been 1 year and havent had a blip since. 😀
Dizzy3, I've had 3 ablations and the first two gave me the same effects as you, unstoppable a-fib after a few weeks. The first time I needed to be cardioverted which set me right in an instant. The second time I reverted back to NSR on my own. I hope this helps in some way. Best wishes.
Ho w are you doing after the third ablation?
Well I still get a-fib episodes, but they're not very frequent. It concerns me of course, and if they ramp up in frequency I'll probably consider another ablation. Everyone's heart is different, of course. Some do fine after one ablation and others need "touch-ups." I know my triggers and try to avoid them.
76 years old with A F
My recovery from my pulse field ablation April 15.
apixaban and hematuria 
shortness of breath
