AF Back after 3 months after Ablation

[Flippy1]

Feeling very despondent as had an ablation back in July that with the meds brought me back in Normal Sinus Rythm with around 55 bpm, just had 3 month post opp appointment and told to come backnin a year. I just checked my rate on my kardia night before last and it says I am back in AF and my bpm are around 130....emailed the consultant and GP but no response as yet.......wondering what my next steps should be.....any advice would be much appreciated

[Rainfern]

Hi Flippy. Hopefully you’ll be called in for an ECG fairly fast and get some sound advice. There’s a difference between the heart flipping around for a few months after ablation while things settle and heal and AF returning. In my case a few weeks after ablation my persistent AF returned. An appointment to have a cardioversion was given and I didn’t have high hopes because previously cardioversions only kept me in NSR for a week or two. However, here I am, over a year on and AF free. I think the cardioversion gave my heart the chance to settle back into its old rhythm while the scarring healed. Of course ablation is no guarantee that any of us will stay AF free forever, but hugely disappointing when it returns so fast, so you have my sympathies.

[Flippy1 in reply to Rainfern]

Hi Rainfern - thank you so much for your response, while I would like it to think its the heart flipping around, I had the op on 1st July so I am thinking it might be that AF has returned, particularly as I have now been in AF 3 days since Monday night. I have now spoke to the GP and Barts, they are suggesting I go back on Edoxaban and Amiodarone which I stopped taking as had reached 3 months post Ablation and was in NSR and also suggesting a cardioversion with a view I may also need a 2nd ablation. Good to hear you are AF free for a year and hoping it continues, stay well

[50568789]

I had ablation in May, all was going well until I had a bronchoscopy which triggered persistent AF again. Quite depressing. Saw GP and ended up in A&E, got ECG and things calmed down, but otherwise no real action. Contacted my ablation hospital who got me a cardioversion within couple of weeks, still in AF , which did the trick and put me back in sinus. Since then all fine, reviewed yesterday, very pleased with progress, heart is still recovering from ablation but back in sinus so it stands a good chance of staying clear of AF (for as long as that may be, there are no guarantees in this business). Keep contact with the team who did your ablation, take the cardioversion if you can.

[Flippy1 in reply to 50568789]

Hiya - thanks for sharing your experiences, impressive you got a cardioversion within a couple of weeks and good to hear it did the trick.....I think I will be heading down that route......do you know if it is beneficial to have the cadioversion sooner after going back into AF?

[50568789 in reply to Flippy1]

The cardioversion was 4 weeks after the AF was triggered, and the AF was persistent during that period. I owe it to the EP that he got me back in comparatively quickly. I believe the shorter the AF episode, the better the chance of success for the cardioversion. Same with an ablation, better if you are paroxysmal rather than persistent, but I might have got away with that, I had become persistent a month before the ablation, doesn't seem to have made a difference.

[Buzby62]

You should have been given contact details for the arrhythmia nurses in your EP team, contact them or the EP’s secretary. I was also given a form to present to my GP surgery to request an ECG to record any irregularities on an official ECG device. Don’t be afraid to make a nuisance of yourself they are there to support you for at least a year following the ablation and if they need to intervene then the sooner the better.

Best wishes

[Flippy1 in reply to Buzby62]

Hiya Buzby, many thanks, I have now emailed the arrhythmia nurse..and yes been persistent and now managed to get some response from Barts who rang me yesterday.....

[Cliff_G]

A low heart rate can make for more tendency to go back into AF (vagal AF). Are you on beta blockers (xx-prolols) or calcium-channel blockers (Diltiazem, Verapamil). These will do it. I find if I'm above 60 to 65 bpm my heart is a lot happier.

Hopefully you'll get an appointmemt/response soon.

[Flippy1 in reply to Cliff_G]

Hiya, thanks for your message I am on biosprol 1.25mg, I was happy on the mid 50s bpm and in NSR...now its on 90-130bpm and saying I am in AF