Af ablation

[181021837402]

Hi there...im 52 fit active living with AF....have now been recommended to have AF Ablation...but I am terrified re the risk of stroke during and after the procedure...any advice would be greatly appreciated from anyone that has had it?...Also worried it can make the AF worse?..just wondering wether to just stay on the tablets or go for the ablation....?

[OrdinaryGuy]

I have had A/F since 2007 and whilst it is classified as paroxysmal - intermittent the frequency of events have increased over the years. From the "pill in the pocket" for when an event occurred I have "progressed" to daily medication. I am now due to have a catheter ablation at the end of March. From what I have read, discussed with the Cardiologist and with a close friend who has had two catheter ablations there is very little risk in having this procedure so I am happy to go ahead. It is a procedure that I presume has been undertaken thousands of times in the UK and elsewhere so it is a proven procedure and one that carries minimal risk I presume. If the procedure is successful one can eventually come off the daily medication and not have to worry every time the heart skips a bit - leaving one worrying that an event is about to start. Best wishes.

[181021837402 in reply to OrdinaryGuy]

Hi..thanks for this..reassuring...interesting that your episodes have become more frequent..i have had 5 in 4 years but the last a&e doctor i saw said that is already too many...i guess i have read that some people are worse after the ablation so am worried about that but dont know wether its true. And also of course the risk of stroke..how often do you get episodes of AF..?..I am also booked in for end of march..best of luck with yours...!!

[OrdinaryGuy in reply to 181021837402]

Thanks for your e-mail. There are many thousands of people with A/F - Arrhythmia problems I believe so one has to be careful in assuming one's own symptoms and treatment are fully indicative for others. I have had 33 events in 10 years - starting at one per year and building up to 5/6 per year. Since starting daily medication in August 2018 I have less events and they do not last so long. However one of my concerns was that the A/F would become permanent/entrenched - which in turn might have led to medication/treatment being less effective. I have not come across anything in writing or been told that one's A/F might be worse after the catheter ablation procedure. At "worst" I assume the A/F may still be happening. A number of patients have to have this procedure twice I understand. If it then doesn't stop the A/F events then presumably it would be necessary to continue with the daily medication and maybe consider a pace maker if the A/F events become more frequent. Best wishes.

[181021832834 in reply to OrdinaryGuy]

Thanks so much for the use info...its really useful to chat with others with the same condition but yes every persons is unique..good luck ..

[181021832834 in reply to OrdinaryGuy]

Hi ...anybody know wether their AF is linked to alcohol?..ive greatly reduced my intake since having AF and wonder if i give it up completely will it go away all together ..?..one Cardiologue says its nothing to do with outside factors and others say it can be linked .it seems every dr has a different view so this is why i am going around in circles as to wether to intervene by ablation or not....any opinions or advice ?...

[OrdinaryGuy in reply to 181021832834]

Alcohol may have some effect on A/F as it stimulates the body and therefore maybe the heart (beat). However it is not the cause of A/F events and stopping drinking will not stop A/F as far as I'm aware. Whether a patient with A/F has a catheter ablation or not depends on the frequency and longevity of A/F events. Also whether medication has been tried and had any beneficial effect or appears to stop events altogether. One's Cardiologist would decide and recommend the catheter ablation procedure assuming it is carried out by the NHS Trust in the patient's area.

[181021832834 in reply to OrdinaryGuy]

Hi..and thanks.. ..this forum is new to me and its very interesting to get different opinions from real people with AF...i was told the risk of stroke from ablation is 1 in 100 which seems alot to me which is why im so anxious....im just doing as much research as possible at the moment...what drugs are you on for the AF if you dont mind me asking?i was on beta blockers until 5 th episode..now on Elquis.. Flecainide and Bisoprolol...daily...

[OrdinaryGuy in reply to 181021832834]

I'd be interested to know where you read or who told you about the risk of stroke from catheter ablation being 1 in 100. From my understanding of what the catheter ablation procedure is I do not see how it could cause a stroke - as it doesn't alter the blood flow (if that is not too simple a comment) and the beating of the heart stands a good chance of returning to normal without any future A/F events. the medication I am on , daily, is - Flecainide, Bisoprolol and Apixaban. If the catheter ablation procedure is successful - i.e. no more A/F events - then I understand you could stop a few months afterwards these medications. Each case is individual of course and circumstances may vary re: medication - but I assume they would not vary re: stroke risk linked to the procedure. However best to ask your Cardiologist who undertakes the procedure if one is recommended.

[181021832834 in reply to OrdinaryGuy]

Hi there....my cardiologist toldme the risk...its on the consent form you need to sign before the operation and another cardiologist told me too...however there are risks with everything and its v v rare....i think i will still be going ahead...so you are on exactly the same drugs .....you are right..the ablation hopefully stops paroxysmal becoming persistent...best of luck and please let me know hiw it all goes... best wishes..

[Kaz747 in reply to OrdinaryGuy]

I guess if the EP doesn’t perform a transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) prior to starting the ablation the stoke risk increases. When I was woken from the general anaesthetic when they found the blood clot in my heart, I remember my doctor saying that they couldn’t go ahead with the ablation because there was a clot and it was therefore too dangerous to insert catheters in case they knocked a bit of the clot off which could go to my brain and cause a stroke.

[NANNAROCK in reply to 181021832834]

I found that I did have an episode when I had some wine, also when I was eating my dinner or lunch. But I also had episodes when I hadn’t had a drink. Just before my ablation I was having high and low bpm everyday, but also some of episodes lasted up to 1 hr with bpm between 120 -147. Since my ablation I have had high & low bpm, and the odd flutter, but I’m strong all my meds.

Nannarock

[181021837402 in reply to OrdinaryGuy]

Yes also you are right..its the constant stress of wondering wether it may happen...outside of your episodes do you have other symptoms?

[181021832834 in reply to 181021837402]

Hi thanks for all the info..yes ive heard 2 procedures often necessary...

Good luck...