Going for ablation

[44deano]

Hello everyone I'm going for my ablation tomorrow and I'm a little worried about as anyone had this done and what can i expect

[Hidden]

Hi! The majority of us were/are very concerned at the thought of an ablation so you are not alone. I can say, having had 3 myself that it will be nowhere near as bad as you are probably imagining. You will be very well looked after .

I would suggest that to get more info and learn from the experiences of others that you log onto the AFA....Atrial Fibrillation Association...website and forum. It is much more active thsn this site so more useful to you.

I would advise you ( regardless of what you are told!) not to do too much for the first week and very little more for the second ! It is said thst it can take up to 6 months to fully recover so you can expect some funny little episodes during this time i.e. ectopics ( missed beats) short runs of AF etc. Personally I did not get much of thus and felt well soon afterwards. Maybe because I didn't have to return to work and only had husband to d/w at home.

Best wishes for tomorrow and do let us know how you get on. Where are you having it done ?

Sandra

[44deano in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your reply I'm having it done at Blackpool with Dr gall once again thanks .

[Hidden]

Expect to be very well looked after. I have had three ablations in two hospitals and I felt that the quality of nursing was very high in both.

I thought the most painful part of it all was when I was on Warfarin and had an INR test beforehand. I had sedation all three times and remember virtually nothing.

You will almost certainly find you have to lie flat afterwards and will not be mobile for a while. Gather all the things you might want in a bag or a plastic box so that a nurse can hand it to you - e.g. glasses, phone, bottle of water, tooth brush, lip balm, book to read, ipad, sweets, whatever. Tea came in a funny little mug and I remember perching it in my armpit and drinking through a straw. After a while you will be propped up and then able to sit up properly a bit later. As I said, you will be cared for and monitored.

You may be invited to walk to the Cath Lab. Slippers that keep your toes warm can be better than flip flops that can come off your feet easily. I took my glasses with me to the procedure but found that, lying flat, you are not looking through the best bit of varifocals and I would leave them behind another time.

You may be transferred to a ward and should have with you a bag that's big enough to put in not only what you have brought but also everything that you were wearing when you arrived as well. Dark coloured underwear may be an idea for use afterwards as the punctures may leak slightly.

Have something amusing that will keep your mind busy while you wait.

I hope it goes really well - I have not had any problems. I did on one occasion pick my suitcase up when booted out of my bed at 8am the next day and was subsequently given an instruction sheet saying don't lift anything heavy. You will be unable to drive for a couple of days.

I'm sure others will have useful suggestions. I agree with Hidden that there's plenty of info on the AFA forum.

[44deano in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your reply and reassurance. And advice .

[Hidden in reply to 44deano]

Lucky you! Dr Gall is my EP and I am hugely grateful to him as he has done wonders for me. You are in good hands. All the best.

[maude]

Hi I had my Ablation last April and all has been ok. I was looked after well. The procedure was a little uncomfortable but was over fairly quickly. I was tired afterwards for a few days but no more than after a SVT doo, and was soon back to normal. I haven't had a doo since they found the offending area and it's sorted. The very best of luck for today!!

[Sha-ami in reply to maude]

What is AF feels like?

[maude in reply to Sha-ami]

HI My condition was SVT.

[avma in reply to maude]

Hey Maude,

I read you had an ablation for svt, was it AVNRT? You said it was a straightforward procedure and a little uncomfortable. What do you mean by uncomfortable? Can you tell a little how your procedure went?

[Kerry40]

Hi, i had my ablation last may, my ablation went well just a little uncomfortable during the procedure as the sedation didn’t fully work with me, but was soon done and back on the ward. They do say recovery is 3 days if you read some of the information given but i think 2 weeks is needed to recover as i was very tired and took that long for things to settle. All the best with your procedure .