My cryoablation experience

It's been just over 48 hours since my cryoablation for PAF with Prof. Schilling at Whipps Cross Hospital. I can't fault my treatment. The whole team was really lovely - attentive, professional and caring. I felt in very safe hands. They also let my husband stay with me both before and after the procedure which helped my anxiety tremendously.

I remember the entire procedure - sadly the sedation didn't seem to do much at all, but the morphine seemed to do its job. There was no pain as such, although phrenic nerve stimulation wasn't much fun!

All 4 pulmonary veins were ablated and the whole procedure took an hour.

I had a bit of discomfort and weird sensations around my chest area, but nothing too bothersome. By the end of the procedure, my entire left hand was rather painfully asleep due to the cramped arm rests.

I felt reasonably ok afterwards, just a slightly sore chest. I had a brief low BP incident and nearly fainted some time after they got me up to sit in a chair, but after lying back down for a bit and drinking lots of water it came back up again and I was discharged later that day. Woohoo!

When I got back to the hotel I was pretty tired, my chest was sore, especially when breathing deeply and my the top of my leg was a bit sore. Bizarrely, burping was a bit painful too. Go figure! Lol!

Today, I'm back home from the hotel after a 5 hour journey yesterday. I'm feeling slightly less sore all round, though still quite tired. Any exertion such as walking upstairs has me out of breath quickly. I'm guessing that could take a while to resolve?

I've had a few ectopics since, but that's all. I can stop my sotalol slowly over the next week or so and will be reassessed in 3 months, when I will be able to stop the warfarin if all goes well.

So, all in all, I'm happy so far Just hoping it's fixed my AF permanently

Will keep you updated...

Sally



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2014 12:13PM by silentsal.

Sally, Best wishes for procedural success. I am curious as to why Dr. Schilling chose cryo over conventional. Only 5% of the AF procedures at high volume centers are done with Cryo and closer to zero at top groups such as Natale and Bordeaux.

Sally, great news! Please keep in touch. Hope everything continues to go well.

Jim

H Sally,

Good news that you came through it all fine as expected and best wishes on a long time fix!

Were you on Sotalol prior to and leading all the way up through the ablation without stopping it at all, or did you go off the Sotalol 5 days prior to the procedure and then they started you back on it right afterward fto be continued for a few weeks and then stop?

Take care and rest up,
Shannon

Happy to read news of your ablation with Prof Schilling; your experiences sound very similar to mine except I cannot remember much of the procedure (RF + cryo) - the sedation must have worked for me! Take it easy for a few weeks and I hope that all settles down for you, as it continues for me, now over 3 years on.... :-)

Kaytee

Thanks for the good wishes

Researcher & Shannon:
Since Prof. Schilling is one of the leading EPs in the UK I trust his judgement regarding the best way to treat my paroxysmal case and his decision to continue all medications right up to the procedure.

I believe he prefers to stick to the safest options for a first ablation and being somewhat of a worrier, I was happy with that.

I realise you may only be curious, but I need positivity for healing right now, so I would be very grateful if you would avoid expressing any negative thoughts that you may have about Prof. S's methodology

Kaytee:
Thanks for the reminder about your successful ablation with Prof. Schilling. Long may NSR continue!

Sally

Sally, I am very positive that your condition has improved and that you have an excellent chance for NSR (touch up may be required later). I was trying to understand how EPs make decisions on approach. I think the reason that Dr Schilling had, to minimize complication risk, is a very good reason. Women have about twice the serious vascular complication risk as men. Minimizing risk is an important factor if not the top factor in AF procedure approaches. I promised Shannon to write up a topic on comparing complication risk studies conducted over the last several years. I have been busy traveling and not getting around to it yet.

Hi Sally,

Just take it easy and heal up which should happen in short order and you should be feeling fine, for a paroxysmal case cryo-ablation can have some real assets for some EPs in terms of getting good quality PV isolation, and we are all pulling for you to be one and done with all this business for the long term! No worries.

And I've heard only the nicest things about Dr Schillings and his staff's warm demeanor and professionalism and that he is very conscientious as well as being one of the more experienced ablationist within the UK as you noted Sally. Take heart too that your kind of case is really what Cryo was designed to address while making it even easier for the EP as well, and I have every confidence you had a safe and hopefully long term successful outcome.

Best wishes Sally,
Shannon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2014 11:19AM by Shannon.

Thanks researcher and Shannon

Sorry if I jumped to conclusions.

Prof. Schilling's staff really are wonderful

I'm being good and taking it very easy, although resting doesn't come naturally to me - I get so frustrated!

I did venture out for an hour today with my husband. It was nice to get some fresh air and see the sea, but it was pretty tiring even though I only walked from the car to a bench and back. I guess it will take time to regain my energy. I developed a cold the day after the procedure (courtesy of my husband), so that isn't helping!

I'm a little nervous about weaning off the sotalol over the next week or so, but assuming that NSR remains it will be great to get off it. I certainly won't miss the fatigue and other side effects

Sally

Sally,
How fantastic to hear! I'm sure all will be well - you've done the right thing, and I'm looking forward to putting myself in the hands of Sabine Ernst at the Royal Brompton. It's kind of heartening to know that even with a less effective sedation the process wasn't too stressful for you.

Personally, I would just exercise patience when weaning off the meds. If you're like me, you've probably been on them a long time - a little while longer is only going to increase the pleasure when you finally stop!

Go easy on yourself and enjoy the relief of having taken the best step you could have taken.

Thanks for your reply David

I decided to wean off the Sotalol more slowly for my own peace of mind. My heart rate is a bit above what it would normally be, so it makes sense.

I work from home and was planning to get back into it this week, but so far I've been too tired to do much. I'm being kind to myself and just going with it. Feeling better every day though. Once I get rid of this cough / cold then I'll have a better idea of how I'm really feeling.

Good luck with Sabine Ernst! I've heard good things about her

Sally