post successful ablation

[lambretta1968]

Hi , I had my ablation done at the beginning of January, I was told it had been successful. I'm still experiencing episodes of AFIB that last for different times. The current one started a few days ago and still have it . 😪

[BobD Volunteer]

As we say in our fact sheet on recovery it can take many months for things to settle down and many people are still improving at nine months or a year.

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

[lambretta1968 in reply to BobD]

thank you , it gets me down at times thinking it hasn't worked. thank you again Bob

[MaryCa in reply to lambretta1968]

Have you informed your EP or his nurse that you're in AFib?

[lambretta1968 in reply to MaryCa]

I haven't tbh , they haven't been in touch either

[MaryCa in reply to lambretta1968]

Email them or ring them. Highly unlikely they'll reach out. I was in constant touch with my EPs nurse as I had a rough first month of blanking. She'd talk to him and whatever he suggested she organized the prescription or advice. Considering they charge so much I wasn't shy about making contact and asking questions.

[DawnTX in reply to BobD]

I always love your it seems not only do they expect instant results but they expect an instant cure which they are not gonna get you and I know even with pacemaker we are still going to get those feelings. The difference for us is we are not getting the damage specially if you have heart failure like I do because without it being squared away by the pacemaker, it just keeps beating your heart up. At least with the pacemaker it will finally get a rest. Because of that my heart failure has actually improved ejection rate from 40 to 70s recently I had been very sick for two months. They are still trying to figure out what I had. They could only figure out what I didn’t have. That being said I had about three weeks almost steady of flutter with a little bit of a fib thrown in.

even my own incredible EP did not tell me right away how I am going to keep feeling a fib and flutter. They are so busy and do so many procedures. I guess it becomes normal to them but they forget it’s not normal for us. That’s why I always tell people to ask your doctor if you’re that concerned, but don’t expect instant healing. Healing is what we get cure as you know better than anyone.

[Buffafly]

Don’t just sit there feeling miserable, get in touch with someone because it’s not good to let it continue after an ablation.

[Buzby62]

I agree with Buffafly contact the arrhythmia nurses in the EP team, you should have been given their contact details. That’s what I did and they were planning to intervene if it lasted more than 72 hours, it didn’t thankfully.

Best wishes

[Hootsmon]

Had my ablation mid Nov last year. Only lasted in sinus for a few days. Back into AF. Saw EP last week. Apparently it takes 2 months for the lesions they create to heal. Changed to Flecanide / Atenolol, Caridoversion this week. Still in Sinus so far. Fingers crossed.

[PAF1]

Hi Lambretta 1968. Completely empathise with you. I had an ablation in January 25 and like you I am still experiencing episodes of AF. The consistent advice received is that this is normal and in the vast majority of cases will settle down over a period of time. It does put doubt in your mind but all we can do is continue to do the right things in the post-op period and continue to stay positive that the episodes of AF will subside over time.

[lizzieloo2]

I had my ablation in August 2023 and was told it had been successful because I lit up like a Christmas tree when they put the catheter in. I asked if this meant no more episodes but the EP said he couldn't possibly say as I could have one straight away. And I did, the day after! However, in the 3 month blanking period, I only experienced 1 or 2 episodes and they didn't last for hours and hours. I was taken off my PIP flecainide and told I wasn't to take it again if at all possible. At my 3-month review with the arrhythmia nurses I was told that "successful" means a significant improvement on pre-ablation. I have had several episodes since with differing gaps between but overall I am still better off than I was and if I drink a pint of water/squash when one comes on, it settles within the hour with no medication. So don't panic just yet. Good luck

[lambretta1968 in reply to lizzieloo2]

thank you 😊

[kkatz]

Forgive me for asking this but are you sure they are Afib attacks as Arrythmia can feel like Afib.I know from experience.I was convinced my Afib was back but after sending off readings to the Arrythmia nurses said the were ectopics.I felt like Afib.A year after ablation they became a problem but got it sorted.As far as I am aware I have not had an Afib episode in a week short of 2 years.

Do you have an accurate way of measuring and saving readings to send to Arrythmia nurses or Ep.

Good luck.

[lambretta1968 in reply to kkatz]

thank you , I'll look into it

[Ppiman]

I read but have now lost the link to a very interesting recent large study that looked at the "blanking period" after ablation procedures. The researchers concluded from the research that a shorter period of, if I recall, 4-8 weeks post ablation was a more accurate reflection of success than the longer period often suggested. Arrhythmias during this period, the study showed, could be ignored and were a consequence of the ablation procedure itself, not of its having failed. Outside of this period, however, the study showed that arrhythmias became increasingly, but still without any full certainty, signposts pointing to a less than fully successful procedure.

That said, another study I read showed that even up to a year some patients still had arrhythmias, but that at two years, many were still free, which suggested very late effects from ablations are possible.Also, post ablation. arrhythmias seem to often be far less troublesome in those who had highly symptomatic AF pre-ablation, so the procedure was still, in that reckoning, a success, albeit incomplete.

If I were you, I would be feeling the same, I am sure. My ablation in 2019 for right-sided atrial flutter seems to have worked well, but since then it did "uncover" other left-sided arrhythmias that are pretty much daily now, as well as AF, which is increasingly frequent but not overly symptomatic, producing a heart rate of from 90-135bpm often and lasting a few hours. I am on a waiting list for a second ablation.

Steve

[JoDogBlue]

I know from my own experience how disappointing it is to back into AF after an ablation. I was in AF two days after my ablation in April last year but pushed for a cardioversion as I was very symptomatic. I've been in NSR since with no hint of the AF returning and I'm back to full strength. Stay positive and seek help from your arrhythmia team if you need it.

[dmac4646]

its frankly a bit daft to says its been successful immediately after the procedure as its at least 3 months before an initial view can be taken - my EP was saying the other day that he had done a cryo on aa colleague - had terrible af afterwards for months and refused to have a redo - at 8 months the AF disappeared.

[lambretta1968 in reply to dmac4646]

that's reassuring, thank you

[Teresa156]

it is still early days, but I agree with the others, you must let someone know at the hospital and they should have AF nurses on hand to speak to you or a help number you can ring. You shouldn’t have to just let it carry on and be very worried, they may be able to suggest something to help it stop soon too.

[Lilypocket in reply to Teresa156]

I agree as it could affect the healing process. It's normal to have blips but when it's more prolonged blips medical help needs to be sought to get things back on track .

[DawnTX]

we are always going to feel a fib and flutter. First of all, it takes quite a while to heal. I’m talking probably a couple of months. It took me almost a year for my pacemaker. You have done a lot of trauma in there and your heart is letting you know that it needs to rest. You are not cured there is no cure. Even with a pacemaker, I get a fib and flutter at times the only difference between the pacemaker and not having one is that the pacemaker is keeping my heartbeat controlled so there is no further damage. Knowledge is power right now you are on a learning curve. Personally I think we are on for the rest of our lives because a fib does what it wants. There is no guarantee. They got the right spot either there are no promises with anything when it comes to a fib. It is a tiny little spot. They are trying to close off. Some people are lucky. Some are not on works. I think people need to know more facts about what is a fib and the hopes of what can be done for us with it. Pretty much everything is a Band-Aid. I see too many people on here, disappointed, frustrated, etc. they think there is almost an instant cure when there is no cure and to quiet a fib down whether it is with meds or whatever is erratic and takes time.

you are gonna have good days you are gonna have bad. I’m just being honest.

[lambretta1968]

your more negative than me tbh

[Diddyauntie]

I am 75 and had an ablation a year ago (for paroxysmal AF). At the time I was told it was highly likely to have been successful. But 3 months later I had a nasty, serious AF episode, albeit eventually managed with Flecanaide PIP. My EP was not unduly concerned and (I didn't like the dampening effect Bisoprolol had, making everything more of an effort) allowed me to reduce my Bisoprolol down to 1.25 mcg/day. Perhaps it was that, or because I now (not without regret!), have decided to limit my consumption of alcohol to one or two drinks a week, or perhaps the full benefit of the ablation took some time to kick in - or a combination of all those things - but for the last 4 or 5 months I have been feeling better than I have for a number of years and find exercising far less difficult than I have for a long time. In summary I would suggest that the full benefits of an ablation may not be felt for a number of months - longer than the 3 months I was led to believe it would take. Fingers crossed this lasts and I have not tempted fate by writing this.

[lambretta1968 in reply to Diddyauntie]

fingers crossed for you too x