Has anyone been Afib free for years & years after an ablation?
Afib free: Has anyone been Afib free... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Afib free
No known AF since recovery from my third ablation in 2008. Lots of other arrhythmias mind. adn PM fitted in 2022.
Four years now, no AF at all.
When I asked my surgeon if it always comes back, as docs say to people in the UK, my Italian surgeon said that one of his first ablations is still afib free after 20 years. The patient was at the time in his 40ies and now in his 60ies. He also said that because most of people had ablation in their 70ies and 80ies the disease was probably more advanced when treated and because of life expectancy we don't know what would have happened if those patients would live other 30-40 years. So the actual statics are more negative than what the real outcome might be. I keep my fingers crossed for mine 🤞🤞🤞
My EP, Professor and lead for north west , put in writing that he can offer me a curative ablation. I like his confidence . Maybe carto mapping has changed things ? I will have to wait and see
Mine too - initials DG?
They are indeed ? Keep me posted you will be done before me !!!!
Had mine beginning Sept - so far so good 🤞
Great to hear and SO pleased for you ! Any advice /tips gratefully received !!!
To be honest, I was only diagnosed three months prior to the procedure and had very few symptoms, so he told me the earlier the diagnosis the better the outcome. When I go back to see him for my check up in a couple of weeks, he said he is expecting to take me off blood thinners too even though I’m a 69-year-old female. When is yours booked?
Haven’t got the date yet . I have only had 3 episodes. First two were 2 and a half years apart , 22 months between second and third episodes , but they last 24 hours are highly symptomatic with HR 180 + RVR , that was coming up to a month ago . I am also a 69 year old female . His PA Sharon told me the waiting list was about 7 months but I suppose it depends on the triage system . I was offered an ablation after the second episode, am now wishing I had taken it !
Yes, ablation and a top-up 3 months after in 2002, then 15 years essentially AF -free. I was in continuous AF before the ablation and it's still true today that "permanent" AF is much harder to stop with ablation than paroxysmal. So I did pretty well, I got 15 good years with one or maybe two short episodes after large meals, fixed by 200 mg PIP Flecainide, plus the odd short tachy run of a few seconds.
The best I advice is, don't then go and do what I did which was to have an aortic dissection and a 14-hour open chest surgical repair🤣. Have been bothered ever since.
AF free since 2021. Ablation at St Barts hospital.
No. First ablation in 2009 reduced bouts of self-converting AF to about every six months or so. Got progressively worse. Second ablation in 2018 - same result. Now in a very persistent mixture of AF and tachycardia so awaiting to discuss the way forward with cardiologist on 5 Nov.
Please don't let me put you off. As you can see, some are successful and the QOL years those ablations have given me, despite not being totally free of it have been a marvellous improvement.
AF free for 6 years now after ablation at Bristol Royal infirmary in 2018
I wish. My three lasted average of 3 months. Fourth attempt next week 🤞
Had mine in March this year, AF free so far 🤞
Had ablation 2 years ago. It didn't work was prescribed dronedarone also didn't work. Back to sotolol 180 and 80 daily. Plus warferin plus bisoporol for rescue dose. Afib every 10 days lasting up to 17hours. HR up to 145 bpm. Exhausted most days wish there was a cure for AF. Don't know when I'll get to see consultant again. Some people on here are so lucky when they inform us ablation worked. Full of envy. But good luck hope it continues.
I feel for you ❤️❤️I know how symptomatic my episodes were, I used to cry it felt so bad and lasting 36 hours each time was unbearable. It was like it had its own clock would hit me every 4 months then moved to every 3 months.
I paid to see a top EP privately but I was working then so could afford it. I waited 16 months for the ablation on the NHS and even then I nearly chickened out as I was so scared. My EP made my mind up for me really, he said "Just think, you have boarded a plane to Barbados and your AF starts", that was the deciding factor. I so wanted to go on holiday again but was too afraid.
I was still paroxysmal when I had the ablation done so had a better chance, even so I am aware there is no cure so I will always be waiting for the beast to wake up. It's an awful disease. My brother, mother have it and so did my father. He took warfarin and fell, banged his head and died from a brain haemorrhage 4 days before Christmas 36 years ago. There wasn't such advanced treatments then.
I take Sotalol 40mg x 3 per day, it didn't stop my episodes hence the ablation but I am being kept on it for now as my EP like 'belt and braces', not sure if he will ever take me off it. I know I have to be on apixaban for life.
My heart rate is a bit faster now since the ablation, it used to be about 64 BPM now around 72bpm but my EP isn't worried about that.
I had a holter monitor on for 24 hours 4 months after the ablation which showed occasional premature atrial beats and 3 runs of tachycardia lasting less than 3 seconds, so I won't be complacent. 🤞It stays away for now.
What is the next step for you?
Hi thanks for replyingI'm on the cardiologists list to have another look to see what's happening. He said 3 months ago it would take a year for appointment. I can't plan anything too far ahead and have cancelled so many family occasions. My life is unfortunately governed by AF.
I think I'll end up with a pace and ablate which scares me.
I'm so frustrated with this condition. I used to be so active and busy. It's slowed me down completely.
I really appreciate your reply.
Thanks x
My ablation was a year ago. 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 been ok since, but I did go 1or 2 years between bouts of AF sometimes.
I had my first bout of AFib in 2014, after catching a nasty coughing virus at my sons wedding, which put me in hospital. I had 9 episodes of it in the 9 years before I had my ablation. Covid brought it on the 8th time and the last time I had it, I’d had to stop the Sotalol I took for it, 2 days before my ablation, so suddenly stopping that, brought it on. I had very symptomatic AFib and my heart rate and BP soared and I was told I had to go to A& E, if I got it, so they could keep an eye on me and try to stop it. A few months after my ablation, the EP told me to come off my Sotalol and I had got the dose right down to 20mg, when I started getting very high spikes in my blood pressure and I rang 111 and they told me to go to A&E in the next hour. That’s happened 3 times now and I was put back on 40 mg of Sotalol twice a day, so don’t think I’ll be able to come off it now. I also have had to start a blood pressure tablet called Amlodipine, which I’ve been taking for 5 days now. So far, so good. 🤞🤞
Wish they could find a 100% cure for all us millions of AFib sufferers around the world. You would think scientists would be trying hard to find a permanent cure for it, as it is apparently the most common heart complaint. Best wishes.
Hi there, think you are the one who had the ablation done at Glenfield, like me? I think I am going to be on Sotalol for life too. Prof Ng doesn't seem to want me to come off it 😔
I wish they would find a cure too ❤️
Yes that’s right.I did try to come off Sotalol, as Dr Sandilands said, but then when I got it right down to 20 mg twice a day, my blood pressure started spiking very high, so that’s why they’ve put my dose back up to 40mg. I did so want to stop it, but not sure I’ll be able to. There are so many medicines that react with it.
I struggle with that, you can't take this and that! I have just had a very nasty cold virus and couldn't take any decongestant. I was sitting with my head over a bowl of steaming hot water at 4am but was scared even to put menthol crystals in it! Can I ask you, does Sotalol affect your sleep? I wake a lot and have nightmares.
Second ablation at St Thomas in London July 2020. Touching wood desperately - free of AF and tachy since then. Also far fewer ectopics.
8 years for the first RF and 4 years after Cryo. Just had my third last week.
That's a long time but just shows the beast is always lurking in the background 😔I dread it coming back and I am only 7 months post ablation. I couldn't go through that again, 4 hours under sedation and I felt every burn, I also suffered a weird type of indigestion that kept me awake at night, like a lump in my throat when I swallowed. I was so scared they had damaged my oesophagus
Six and counting. Multiple cardioversions. Still on sotolol. Been quiet since March. Years in nsr would be nice but I’ll take months if that’s all I get. Do all the right things regarding lifestyle and then accept that eventually everything falls apart. Meanwhile, be merry (even without eating and drinking).
I was - from 2013 until about 2022. But has come back though less severe , less symptomatic, slower and less frequent.
My husband had an ablation after his first known AF episode. His cardiologist believes the sooner you do the ablation after the first AF episode, the more successful it is. He’s been AF free for 2 years now. Time will tell I guess.
Ablation in 2009 was successful for 13 years. On seeing a cardiologist last year, I found out from my Kardia results that I had actually gone into permanent AF in 2022 without realising it. I still go to aerobics classes, cycling, paddle boarding with no problems.
What are the symptoms?
I felt a slight change of rhythm at night but nothing else. As I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, I wanted to be on top form for the treatment. I showed the Kardia results to the EP consultant who went back through them and said I appeared to develop permanent AF back in 2022. I was very surprised as I had hardly any symptoms. The traces just show a slight change of HR, e.g. from 65 to 70, but I don't have any symptoms now. I still go to pretty energetic exercise classes and even at the age of 73 I outperform many younger than me.
Regardless, I have to say I'm pretty happy with life.
Had my ablation in 2018, had been off and on for several years before that but didn't know what was going on until it became more frequent. Still take Elliquis and Metoprolol but no more AF.