I'm now 76 and last year diagnosed with chronic AF. I had three cardioversions, 2016, 2022 and 2023. The last one lasted 3 months and then the cardiologist dismissed me as 'nothing more he could do '. Unfortunately he didn't believe in ablations so I never had any.It has been mentioned that I'm now to old.
Has anybody older than myself had a successful ablation. Thank you for your time.
Well, I was 70 at my latest ablation. I think it has more to do with how well your heart is functioning generally, which they can tell with an echo scan.
You need to find an EP, Electrophysiologist, a specialised cardiologist who does ablations, to get a more considered opinion. It is true that permanent AF is more difficult to resolve with ablation than paroxysmal.
i know of people 80 and over who have had ablations. Get to see an electrophysiologist (an electrician) rather than a cardiologist (plumber).
I was under cardiologist for three years and no mention of ablation which I learned about from this forum and the AFA website. I asked to be referred to an electrophysiologist (EP) to discuss my suitability for ablation, a few months later I had cryoablation, see my bio.
No, you’re not too old but age is not the only thing that affects suitability, you need an EP consultation.
Best wishes
My prior cardiologist also never mentioned ablation, once he made the atrial fibrillation diagnosis. Like you, I learned from this forum, set up the appointment with the EP and then asked for the required referral from my cardiologist.
I agree with previous comments but caution that there are some conditions that make an ablation less likely to work eg obesity, heart valve disease, cardiovascular disease. However to be discharged by someone who ‘doesn’t believe in ablations’ is 😳 None of my cardiologists have shown great enthusiasm for ablations but they always mention it as an option.
Best wishes with the EP
the only insight I can add is that an ablation is not a major procedure, or risky to have at your age.
Thank you all, I'll be writing to the doctor today to ask for a referral to an EP.
When you get to see your EP ask him to quote your individual likely success rate, which neatly summarises his views & experience.
I am 71 and was quoted last week 85% chance of success as my echo cardiogram was all normal; 90% would have encouraged me more. I forgot to ask what his definition of success was, as in the past I have heard it is considered as just AF free for 1 year which would not be my definition! He did mention I might still be on meds afterwards.
look up Imracor an Aussie company using new tech for mapping with MRI and testing it now for AFlutter and looking to FDA for approval. They believe going forward due to its clarity the targets should get hit first time so no follow up ablations.
That's encouraging. One of my reasons for postponing an ablation is that improvements do come through periodically. My EP told me he reckons there is a significant improvement every 5 years. So for those facing the old chestnut of ablation or pills 'for the rest of your life', the 3rd alternative is to postpone 5 yrs and in the meantime work on improved lifestyle choices and optimising physical fitness to bounce back from the procedure.
I agree with you. It all depends on your circumstances but it should not always be seen as a one off binary ablate or pill’s decision. This is an area where technology and therefore outcomes continue to improve.
That’s how I’m thinking hopefully stay healthy on as low a dose of meds as possible and look to one of the new technologies. Even PFA has improved its catheters since the comparison Trials with RFA, I think up to version 3 so let’s hope we stay as good as possible for the next few years
I'll be 80 in November and had an ablation a week ago. I intend to post about it when more time has passed but ok so far.
I had ablation Feb 23 at 74 after 2years in Persistent Afib.No Afib since them .Had lots of rate ups & downs & ectopics.No Afib & no ectopics for 5 months.Although I have had lots of situations that could have brought it on.
But you need an echo to see the state of your heart.
I was told at the start of persistent Afib "doubt if we can help due to age & comorbidities" & given 50% chance of success with ablation.
Keep pushing & good luck.
Hi Jacky my mother in law who is 85 , a fit 85, had one at Liverpool Heart and chest about two months ago, and flew out to her holiday home in Spain three weeks later and is still over there. So I am new to this ablation business but don’t necessarily think age is a bar
I had an ablation in Aug following Amiodarone since May. A cardioversion in June + Amiodarone meant that in was in NSR since May. This allowed the health/ strength/ fiction of heart to improve significantly as witnessed by EKG prior to ablation.
Post ablation went for checkup & ECG with EP & was signed off until next Aug. - unless anything changes. 200 mins walks per week, no alcohol, good diet.
So far so good. I am 85. We are all so different physically that like for like doesn’t work!
This site has been my saving grace btw!
I had my ablation four years ago at the age of 84. No AF since and,after moving in July, I have been painting every room in my new house. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I still had AF.
Wow! You amazing people. I am totally inspired by your positivity and will be going to see if I can get at EP appointment. Thank you all.
Hi JackyMac.
I am 80 years old and had an ablation a month ago with very good results. Every person is different and only well trained doctors can determine the best way to treat a particular patient but I hope my information could be useful to you.
I have had Paroxysmal afib for 17 years but I was able to control it with flecainide and metoprolol. By the end of May I had an afib episode that lasted for seven consecutive days. After a visit to an EP and doing some research, I realized that it was wise to get an ablation (cardiologists have been recommending me for many years to use blood thinners and to get an ablation but, I always refused to do it because I considered it to be too invasive and also because the medicines were working and allowed me to have a normal life).
Before my May afib event, since I didn't want to get an ablation, my EP indicated that it was important to monitor my hearth regularly because afib episodes and medicines such as flecainide could affect the hearth condition. For this reason my EP has been asking me to get Echo Transthoracic Tests from time to time. The 2024 results indicated that my left ventricle ejection fraction (VEF) was 42%, down from the 2020 result of 60%. I read that when the VEF result is below 40% there could be a danger of a hearth failure. (the normal range is 50 % to 70%).
Because of the afib episode I had on May and the VEF results my EP recommended to have an ablation and this time I thought it was wise to do it.
During the ablation the doctor found that in addition to the afib I also had a flutter and was able to correct it, saving me from an additional ablation procedure.
After the ablation the doctor asked me to stop taking flecainide. I continue to have metoprolol ( the beta blocker) and additionally now I am also taking Xarelto (blood thinner) and farxiga (a medicine that protect the hearth from hearth failure episodes, a new application for a medicine that had been used for some years to treat diabetes).
The good news is that after the ablation I am back to a normal life. Two weeks after the procedure I continued with my daily Qigong(Taichi) exercises and began playing tennis again. At my age I feel blessed to be able to enjoy my family and friends.
Again, your EP would be the best person to evaluate your particular health condition and determine if an ablation will be a good recommendation for you.
I hope this information will be helpful to you. Best regards!!!
Cachito thank you, that's very useful. I will definitely be following up but I'm not sure we have an EP locally but I'd be happy to travel anywhere to get sorted.
my twin brother has an ablation op coming up and he is 77 yrs 9mths when op done soon. Hope you get sorted out.good luck.
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