Ablation advice

[Kinfusion]

Could anyone tell me how much notice they got for an appointment for an ablation? My husband is on a waiting list and was told ‘hopefully by Easter or soon after that’. It’s difficult to plan anything when just waiting for a date. Also I know that there’s the three month period afterwards and I’ve read the information leaflets, but I can’t see just how much it is possible/advisable to do in that time. At the moment my husband is very limited in what he can do anyway because physical activity almost always triggers an episode, but we are not sure whether we will be able to go away in our touring caravan in that time as it does involve some physical exertion. Thank you

[diminished7th]

Hi, I'm the north east (Durham) but under the Freeman in Newcastle. I was put on the waiting list in Oct 2024 and advised it would be approx. 6/7 months. Out of the blue last week I had a call as there was a cancellation for 5 March. I had the pre op today and go in on Wednesday so I'm lucky it's earlier. A friend who lives in Lincolnshire has been on the waiting list for Nottingham for over a year and had his appt cancelled once. He has now been toldApril this year. It shouldn't matter where you live my unfortunately I think sometimes it does.

I hope your hubby doesn't have too long to wait and hope you get away in your tourer.

Best wishes

[pip_pip]

Two years ago I had to wait one year and suddenly I was given 3 days notice, with no pre-op. Most of my stuff is online or on the hospital system, anyway. Be prepared. !

[Buffafly]

I said I’d accept a cancellation so had one weeks notice. I overdid it after my ablation because I didn’t have the info from this forum so I can tell you from experience forget the tourer for a few months. As your husband is so poorly he will need time to recover but if he complains enough he may get the ablation sooner. Keep your phone handy!

[Teresa156]

I’m in the South east and I was on the list for a few months, then got four week’s notice.

[MPA9]

After the ablation they say that there's a 3-month blanking period where the heart readjusts to the scarring. During this time it's best to go with "what feels right". You husband will know how he feels and whether he is up for a walk or needs to rest. It's advisable to rest up for a while but then start to introduce some exercise when he feels ready to. Just don't rush things.

[Bear910]

I was referred from cardiology at my local hospital at the end of October last year. Had appointment with EP at Wythenshawe mid December then was booked in early January for flutter ablation at end January. I’ve been very careful for the last month (no heavy lifting, stretching, rushing about) and just starting to get back to gym this week. If your caravan needs lifting I would say avoid that afterwards for 6 weeks or more, but everyone is different and doing things to relax are helpful so maybe think about a trip not too far away without your caravan.

[Karendeena]

I think it depends on the hospital and the waiting list. I waited 12 months and had a month's notice. I was doing pretty much normal things (apart from extreme exercise and lifting) a couple of weeks after the ablation but we are all different and need to follow the guidance of our consultant and arrythmia nurses

[Sixtyslidogirl]

As long as a piece of string! I was on the waiting list for 10 months and then got a cancellation. I was called on the Thursday for the op on the Monday.

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Hello

Thank you for sharing your post, unfortunately waiting lists do vary for a variety of reasons and dependent on your local health authority, the hospital and even the consultant. Do you know if your husband has been included on the cancellation list? I understand it is frustrating, if you would like any advice from our Patient Services Team, please feel free to contact us via our patient helpline or via email: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

You may wish to download some of our resources from the AF Association webpage to offer support ahead of the procedure:

Preparing for an Ablation: api.heartrhythmalliance.org...

Treatment options for an Ablation: api.heartrhythmalliance.org...

Kind regards

TracyAdmin

[Sixtychick]

I was on the ablation waiting list at Glenfield hospital in Leicester for about 16 months and had a notice of about a month.