Ablation - Your experiences?

If you've had an ablation would you mind telling me your experience? How long has it been and how are you feeling? Has it gotten rid of the AF? Was it cryo abaltion or RF? Are you glad you did it? Anything you wish you knew before you did it or other suggestions/comments? I really appreciate it. You're thoughts would be invaluable!

RF PVI ablation in 2015. Fine ever since save for occasional runs of ectopics usually related to me not hydrating properly. Two short AF episodes in 2018 which I think were caused by my experimentation with iodine supplements. I feel comfortable saying that because the 2nd episode in 2018 was deliberate on my part. I suspected the iodine so I repeated my previous dosing a few months prior and got the same result. Scientific? Yeah, -ish.

Happy with the ablation and would do it again if (when) needed.

Thanks! I appreciate it. Makes it less scary. 😊

The only thing I'd have better been aware of before my first procedure is that the right EP is rarely the guy next door.

Two ablations, first 13 years ago with great success and then in the last 4 months, afib back. Second ablation on Jan.6 this year. 24 hours after both ablations, I felt almost 100%. No pain meds, walking a mile on the day after and light weight workouts one week after. RF - PVI + other burns for the first one, and RF where needed for the second one.

Worst part is a 24 hour bad sore throat because of the intubation.

Thanks everyone!

Ken - Thank you so much for sharing! How persistent was your afib before your ablations? Did they put you on blood thinners or other meds before/after the ablation? Wishing you a speedy recovery!

I had afib for 11 years before the first ablation, averaging about 3 episodes per month ranging from 1 to 72 hours. It was misdiagnosed for the first five years and I took no meds, then the afib was found on an ECG and I went on blood thinners and control drugs for 5 years - then ablated.

I went back for the second ablation because of two 10 day long episodes one week apart after 13 years with just 3 breakthroughs of a few hours.

Ken, thanks for the info. How's your afib since then? Also, is it possible to be med-free after the ablation?

Quote
cirenepurzalot
Also, is it possible to be med-free after the ablation?

Of course. That's the expected result. If you're not med-free (other than anticoagulants, possibly) then the ablation wasn't successful.

After my Jan. 6 ablation, I am taking Eliquis for one month and Flecainide for two months. Then med free. After my first ablation 13 years ago, I too Warfarin for one month (no Antiarrhythmics) and then nothing for 13 years.

I am in good health and stay fit, so I don't take any prescription meds, other than the short term afib meds I am currently on.

Thanks Ken. Wishing you the best with your health!

Hi Cirenepuralot.

I have had 5 ablations and if you wish to get a lay-mans take on having an ablation maybe use the Forums search facility for 3 of my following posts 2007 to 2010 i.e fill in the relevant boxes on the search facility with the following info.....
1) Search Message.......Back from India / Search Author.......Barry / Forums....Search all Forums / All Dates
2) Search Message...... Bordeaux Diary / Search Author.......Barry / Forums....Search all Forums / All Dates
3) Search Message.......Native English Speaker / Search Author......Barry G. / Forums......Search all Forums / All Dates

As posts go they are long but hopefully also very informative and reader friendly from a personal perspective with a bit of tongue in cheek humour thrown in.

Just read them today after all these years...the trials and tribulations of an ablated AFIBBER :-(

Cheers,
Barry G.

January 2003, ablation in Bordeaux after many years of paroxysmal AF and 18 months of long term persistent AF. A second ablation three days later because AF recurred.

Since then, normal rhythm, 17 years and counting. I get many ectopics but tame them with magnesium, potassium, taurine and d-ribose.

Most important thing is to choose a top grade EP - mine was done by Prof. Haïssaguere himself, assisted by Dr. (now Prof.) Jaïs.

Gill.

Thanks Barry and Gill. I appreciate your expressions and experience. Wishing you the best health!

I'm ten weeks post ablation for afib. I'm still on 100 mg Flecainide twice a day and 12.5 mg of Metropolol. I suffered from afib about 1-2 times a year for ten years and then in the last year was in it several times a month and then the last month, was going into it every day for a few hours. Very distressing, I have had lots of ectopics beats following the ablation but those are decreasing weekly, and I haven't had an afib episode. If I have to stay on meds for the rest of my life and feel the way I do, I will gladly do it. Yes the goal is to get off meds, but I consider the ablation a success thus far. Meds alone never kept me off afib, and so the combo of ablation and meds is working. Time will tell if I can drop the meds but they don't bother me at all. Just a slight inconvenience,

Have the best EP even if that means you have to travel. I was very active and in my best physical shape before my ablation. I ran a 50 k months before my 2017 ablation. I felt that I would have the procedure and be running in a month or two , but instead I got sick enough that I retired early because I was worried that my time on earth would be short. The EP had trouble with the ablation he admitted. I was bruised from belly button to knees. My left groin had a hematoma and I had difficulty lifting the left leg for about a week. I lost a lot of blood during the ablation and had shortness of breath and low B/P. The dye used with the cryoablation caused my kidney function to drop to 45% of normal. I continued with Afib/flutter. The EP wanted to do another ablation. He put me on amiodarone. I was having shortness of breath and severe GI issues. I ended up losing about 30lbs very quickly. I was on blood thinners and had a GI bleed. I ended up quitting my job as a nurse. With my health insurance with my job the EP I was going to was the only one covered under my plan. I went on my husband’s insurance which allowed me to see other EP’s. I am still recovering from all that. I was very muscular and with the rapid weight loss I lost muscle. At 60 now it’s harder to regain muscle. I’m thankful to be alive and am following the diet and supplements that are suggested elsewhere on the site. I try to minimize stress, do yoga, eat clean, no alcohol. For now my arrhythmia episodes are very seldom. If needed I would do another ablation with the best EP I could find and I’d do lots of research first. Sorry to have to tell you this story of my experience but you asked. Ablation is scary. You’re worth getting the best.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it. Wishing you the best health! It's good to know all the stories, good and bad.