Ablation

[Grannypat65]

Hi I am waiting for a catheter ablation procedure. Wanted to know people's experiences of this please.

[kateevs]

Hi Grannypat65 - I had this procedure 2 days ago. Obviously it varies for everyone, and the reasons for it will be different, but on the whole it was fine. I was awake for mine, and would have preferred not to have been, I found it helped to have something to distract myself with - working out what I was going to add to my Tesco delivery order when I got home, helped! It was uncomfortable, but not particularly painful, other than when they inject the local anaesthetic into your groin. That’s short lived though.

My procedure was exploratory, and they found things they hadn’t bargained on, so not overly successful in itself, but the actual process was tolerable.

Good luck with yours - they’ve done this procedure for a long time so you’ll be in safe hands.

Kate

[Grannypat65 in reply to kateevs]

Hi Kate. Thank you so much. I will be having a General. As i have A fib and flutter. I am really scared. So its good to know what you think. Please let me know how you get on.. x

[kateevs in reply to Grannypat65]

I will do - I’m sure you’ll be fine and better to have a general I think with this. Mine was for SVT but they got in there and the source of the problem kept moving. They really struggled to pinpoint although they did ablate some parts they were more sure about. Then they identified I had A fib too but thought it was too risky to try and get over to the left. So I’m home with meds for that and a pocket pill in case I have another attack.

I think you’ll be fine with a general - you’ll know nothing until you come round - I’d have preferred that!!!! Just take your time with recovery and I’m sure you’ll be absolutely fine! They’re the experts remember - they’ll look after you.

[Grannypat65 in reply to kateevs]

Thank you so much. It's so good to know someone who has this done. I was on a pill in the pocket for 12 years and have had 2 cardioversions. The first worked for a year and a half. The second didn't work which was this year. Hence the ablation. Take care.

[Fallot]

I had ablation about 18 months ago for atrial flutter. I was awake and thought it was boring more than anything else (it took a bit over 3 hours). During the actual ‘burning’ it was a bit painful but not excessively so and when I mentioned it they gave me some paracetamol intravenously. It’s just a few seconds at a time anyway.

I had a cardioversion before, which only helped for a few months. The ablation seems to have solved the flutter (for now anyway).

I have several other problems (TR, PVC’s) and if they could be resolved as ‘easily’ I would jump at the opportunity.

[Grannypat65 in reply to Fallot]

Thank you so much for your advice I have Afib and flutter so very scared. I'm having a general . So I will be out of it.. I don't know any one who had had a ablation so pleased with your reply. 🙂

[cbc0510]

I am sat having breakfast in hospital the morning after a cryo ablation yesterday afternoon.Even with sedation and not a full GA ( preferred option anyway) it was no where near as bad as I anticipated.

Consultant explained everything before and updates as he went along, bit uncomfortable at times but nothing that was hard to cope with.

Looking forward to seeing the results!

[Grannypat65 in reply to cbc0510]

Thank you so much for your experience. Did you stay overnight in hospital..

[cbc0510]

Yes, just waiting to get the all clear to go home!

[Grannypat65 in reply to cbc0510]

Hope it will be soon for you. Let me know how you get on. Thanks. Take care.x

[SaxmanAD]

Hi, I hope you're ablation goes well. I had an ablation eight weeks ago found it was okay however sort of feel I should have been taken off blood thinners prior as I had a fem stop fitted to stop the bleeding which took 10 hours to work, I found that uncomfortable just sitting still tbh, cramps ect. I was in permanent afib quite heavy and unfortunately went back into a fib 48 hours after my ablation. I went back in the following week for another cardio version ,( no 3) which put me back into sinus rhythm. I'm now waiting for a review to reduce medication and see what happens next. Overall I found the ablation easy to deal with. Good luck 🤞

[Grannypat65 in reply to SaxmanAD]

Thank you.. i know they say its takes about 3 months.to see if the ablation has worked. Surprised they gave you a cardioversion. Fingers crossed for you.that you stay in a normal rhythm . Thank you.🙂

[Bramble2000]

Hi, when I got the info from the hospital I was terrified! I really didn’t need to worry. They will put a little injection into your groin to numb it. They’ll also put a cannula in your arm so they can give you sedation. They then pass the catheter into the groin and up into the heart. Depending how the happy juice affects you (for me it didn’t until afterwards!), you’ll be able to see what’s going on on a monitor. They then start trying to find the few dodgy cells that they blast away with heat, you shouldn’t notice anything. For me they couldn’t find it despite spending two hours trying. Hopefully for you they’ll be successful and that’ll be it. I went home the same day I think on the bus! All the best. X

[Grannypat65 in reply to Bramble2000]

Thank you. I guess it's a chance I need to take. I have not been successful with medication or 2 cardioversions. What are you taking now to keep you un a normal rhythm.🙂

[Bramble2000 in reply to Grannypat65]

I’ve managed for over thirty years on Bisoprolol. I went into early labour with my third daughter at 31 weeks and spent two weeks on CCU. It was the best birth experience out of all four I’ve had as I completely bypassed maternity! I have ventricular tachycardia, VT, not SVT. X

[Sixtychick]

I had an ablation last September for Paroxysmal AFib and SVT. I had sedation and local anaesthetic. It took nearly 3 hours, but time went quite quickly. I felt it at times, but was warned, but it was bearable. I was scared, but was looked after well. It wasn’t easy keeping still for all that time and then lying still in bed for a few hours afterwards. I stayed in overnight. The EP said it went well. He said he had done over 2000 catheter ablations, so was very experienced, so 🤞🤞🤞the awful AFib and the SVT stay away. I had to wait 18 months for mine, which was done at Glenfield hospital, Leicester. Good luck for yours.

[Grannypat65 in reply to Sixtychick]

Thank you.for your experience. How you now.x

[Sixtychick in reply to Grannypat65]

I felt ok afterwards, except that had a few ectopic beats for a few weeks, which aren’t quite so bad now. You have to take it easy for a couple of weeks or so. The worst part was the most enormous bruise in my groin and top of my leg which took a while to go. Trouble is, you’ll never really know if it’s worked or not, unless your AFib comes back. I try to put this at the back of my mind, but when you have PAF, you always wonder when the next episode will be, so it’s hard to forget it. Hopefully it won’t return. Good luck.

[Grannypat65 in reply to Sixtychick]

Thank you. Do you mind me asking how old you are please. I'm 59.🙂

[Sixtychick in reply to Grannypat65]

I’m 72 years young.!

[Lexi72]

Hi I had my ablation for premature ventricular ectopics. It was far worse in the imagination than the reality. The whole process was very well organised you don’t eat or drink in a few hours before the procedure, you have blood tests, given surgical stockings, have a cannula put in Have the risks explained to you sign the consent form 3 times and meet the cardiologist doing the procedure. I was awake for mine and there were a team of 8 with lots of screens and the electrophysiologist sitting behind a screen with his team and the cardiologist manipulating the catheters in the room with me and an extra nurse just to keep an eye on you My ectopics decided to disappear (first time ever but not uncommon )they pumped me full of adrenaline to make them appear again and map the areas where they come from. They then gave me some happy drugs to mildly sedate me Local anaesthetic at the catheter site This did not hurt at all . I was awake when they zapped the area of the heart which did hurt but they upped the painkillers and it was tolerable. The doctorsconcluded the ectopics were no longer coming after pumping me full of more adrenaline. The catheter is then removed a nice nursei presses on the wound to stop the bleeding and I was then observed for 3 hours with the nursing team keeping an eye on me before I was allowed to go home. You need someone to collect you. The whole procedure was really efficient and incredibly well organised. Some ablations are more complicated depending on the reason you need it (mine was at the simple end) and you may be knocked out with anaesthetic Mine took about3 and a half hours in total and in my case there were no complications. The team was fantastic . Unfortunately I think I still have the ectopics so it may not have worked Will be confirmed at follow up appointment when I have another holter ECG to record the electrical activity in my heart. Hope your ablation goes well and try not to worry. My wait for the procedure was 6 months

[Grannypat65 in reply to Lexi72]

Hi, thank you for sharing your experience. It is very worrying, but I'm guessing worth a try as I'm in permanent A/fib.

[Lexi72 in reply to Grannypat65]

Hi Granny Pat definitely worth a try. I felt really safe and looked after- cared for. NHS at its very best. Hope you have the same experience best wishes

[Grannypat65 in reply to Lexi72]

Thank you so much I hope I do.🙂

[Wk67]

Hi, I had one a year ago for ectopic ventricular beats, 20% all the time. I was awake, found it fascinating. They zapped 5 places in right ventricle, had to leave one as was too close to natural pathway, didn’t want to have to have pacemaker. Went into left one also, was clear, so incision into vein & artery. You have to lie flat for couple of hours after, for incisions to clot over. I felt so much better immediately, had energy again. Only problem afterwards was severe muscle pain in right quad, especially trying to move in bed at night, lasted 2-3 months. Ok now. It is so clever how they search for the rogue areas to zap. No pain on burning, but a new meaning of “heartwarming”! I was 74. All best, you will be fine.

[Grannypat65 in reply to Wk67]

Thank you. For your experience. It does help hearing different stories. 🙂

[Spin-off]

Hi Grannypat65. I’d say don’t hesitate-go ahead. Cardioversions have only had a very short impact for me whereas ablation gives me years to be symptom free. I’ve had three. That makes it sound like they don’t work but they do, it’s just some people’s hearts keep finding other paths to produce the AF and Flutter. The recovery isn’t bad at all. Each time I have had some shortish bouts of AF but they’ve settled. Try not to worry. Ablation could set your heart right for years - perhaps even for ever. Good luck.

[Grannypat65 in reply to Spin-off]

Thank you. That's really positive to hear. Worrying.but worth it. Thank you.🙂

[Sweetmelody in reply to Grannypat65]

I’ve had similar experiences to those of Spin-off. I think ablations are the way to go because they seek to correct the substrate causes of AF and AFL I’ve had two, am in NSR, and off drugs. Yes, it was bumpy at times during recovery and at one point I needed a CV as a course correction, but nothing I and my EP team couldn’t deal with. It takes time for one’s heart to recover from an ablation. In the end, to echo Spin-off, it’s definitely worth it. Is for me, anyway. Good luck!

BTW Going through the procedure with a General is easy. One minute you’re awake. You take a deep breath. The next minute (3-4 hours later) you’re awake. Nothing to be scared of. Though I will admit when they wheeled me into the cath lab for my first ablation, I turned to my EP and said, “I’m scared.” He patted me on the shoulder, said some soothing words, then I got curious about all the busyness around me—and took that breath as instructed. Then it was over in a second and I was fine.

[Grannypat65 in reply to Sweetmelody]

Thank you. I think it's the unknown and worry about what else could go wrong. Thank you for your experience, I hope I don't have to wait too much longer for the procedure as it's horrible waiting isn't it. 🙂

[Sweetmelody]

I should add that when they wheeled me in to my second ablation, my attitude was “Ho-hum.” (-:

[Lilbandit88]

hi! I had ablation in January, procedure took about 4 hours and I was asleep. Woke up with no pain meds needed and went home the next day. Have noticed my energy levels aren’t what they used to be and socialising seems to be a lot more draining that it used to be but physically I mostly feel fine. Good luck!

[Grannypat65 in reply to Lilbandit88]

Thank you, what meds are you on. Did they use heat or freeze. Do you mind me asking how old you are please. I'm 59.

[Lilbandit88 in reply to Grannypat65]

Of course, I’m 35. Currently on Quinidine Sulphate to maintain my heart rhythm. I’m not sure if it was hear or freeze I’m afraid.

[Grannypat65 in reply to Lilbandit88]

Thank you, glad it worked for you. They saud it would take 3 mths to know if it has worked. 🙂

[Lilbandit88]

best of luck!

[Grannypat65 in reply to Lilbandit88]

Thank you. 🙂

[HC74_2]

Did you have your ablation? I hope it went well if so. I had one ten years ago now, researched the living daylights out of it prior even watched a procedure on YouTube because I'm very much the type who feels more relaxed the more I know. It was quite relaxing (I had a GA), day ward was nice, patients were together which encouraged support between people. I was taken into theatre when the time came, put on a bed that was much comfier than most medical beds, they got me all prepped for the anaesthetic and other bits and pieces. Room was a bit overwhelming and the huge group of medics waiting to watch (mine was a rare one) but the nurses kept me calm, kept chatting to me, explaining anything I needed explaining. Kept me relaxed as I went under. I woke up straight after but very much high as a kite so not much memory. Clearest memory was waking up in recovery, nurse next to me, alarm going crazy from my pulse which was a bit scary. I told her I was scared and she called the consultant to check it was all ok, which it was. They rushed me off the ward a bit once I was awake which was a down side while feeling out of it. But otherwise it went well, took asking about 5 members of staff to actually get confimation it'd been done ane was successful. Had the odd pain/odd arrhythmia in the few months after that I had to get checked out but everything was ok. Saw your comment about the unknown - I asked my EP ahead of the op to tell me the reality of the risks for me. He was able to confirm with the location and my health all risks were exceptionally low so maybe have a chat if it's not been done yet.

[Grannypat65 in reply to HC74_2]

Hi. Thank you for asking, but no I'm still waiting. It was meant to be 3-4mths from last February. I have been waiting and then started to get anxious so I phoned the hospital. Told them to put me on the cancellation list and down for two hospitals for the procedure. I was told I'm about 10th on the list. That was over a month ago. So I phoned again and I'm now told mid October. Early November. I'm very pleased all worked for you. I to have looked at many u tube videos and worry the longer your in A/F the likely of the ablation working is less. 🙁 I just hope they haven't left me too long.