UK catheter ablation

Hi all

Wel I've done it and had my ablation on 15th May at Harley Street thanks to my private healthcare! The cardiac team there were fantastic. Felt like I'd been run over by a bus yesterday but better today just taking it easy. Heart is irritable and does not like me eating at the moment but the long periods of peaceful NSR are lovely, I can't even feel my heart beating during the quiet times which in itself is amazing even though its up in the 80's and occasionally 90's. I'm being realistic though and know that it takes time so it's day by day at the moment.

No drugs apart from warfarin so 3 months to go.

Rgds
Heather

Awesome! Last time I was at a doc's office on Harley St, was when my Mum took me to see a shrink at a cost of 10 guineas.
Of course that was a long time ago. I bet you feel so relieved.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2013 11:26PM by afhound99.

Well done Heather. I am still trying to find the courage for an ablation, although sitting here at the computer with my 2nd episode of A.F. in forty eight hours, I don't think I can put it off much longer! Who did your ablation in Harley Street?
I wish you well for the future.

Dr Rinaldi, he was lovely and he has a great team there too, some of them trained by the folks over in Bordeaux.

Day 4 and heart still irritable lots of single blips and vibration (after eating ) but no afib as it was before

Best to you Heather. Just be patient and give your heart time to recover from the ablation insult. It will be irritable for several months. Try to focus on your keeping your electrolytes optimized and help obtund with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods.

Jackie

Heather,
Although I'm probably not the typical case, my heart was very sore and irritable after the ablation and remained so for months. All my old triggers could cause short tachycardia, but not afib. I'm now past seven months and my heart continues to improve at a steady rate, but still have moments of irregular beats - but getting further apart and less intense. I reckon the healing rate is different for all of us. Jackie's recommendation is right on. I'm guessing my heart won't be completely back to normal for nearly a year after my ablation, the EP may have fried more tissue than some as I was a persistent affiber prior to the operation.

Tom

I found they didn't prepare me for the possibility of PAC/PVCs after ablation with the result that a couple times I freaked out, thinking AF was back, but the EP (Conor Barrett) smiled and said no, was PAC/PVCs showing up on the telephoned-in EKG... I still get more PAC/PVCs than I remember having before the ablation, but then they may have kicked off a bout of AF whereas now they (so far) haven't. Potassium helps a lot when the do show up..

I think it's getting better but I have little runs of regular irregulars now !

It's early days - main thing is it's done and chances are good you slayed the dragon..