Upcoming Cryo Ablation

Hi all
Just joined this forum, I'm looking for a bit of support and advice.
I'm in New Zealand. I have been experiencing occasional Afib for past 2 years. I get an afib episode randomly, typically monthly, but can go 2 or 3 months with no issue. Seems to be stress related.
I have been in emergency department at hospital 4 times in the last 2 years as a precaution if it doesn't resolve it's self within a day.
I am on daily Diltiazem (120mg) and Flecanide (100mg).
Following my fist afib experience I was also identified as having Hypothyroidism and am on Levothyroxine (50mcg).
I am a 50 year old male, 173cm tall and weigh 68kg. My blood pressure is 124/80. I am reasonably fit, do a bit of mountain biking, and have a job that is often physical (farming). Light drinker, share a bottle of wine on a Friday-Saturday night with the wife.
I have been on the public waiting list for Cryo Ablation. I am booked in for this on the 13th July, so in approx 7 weeks.
I am interested in hearing from anyone in my age group who has had an Ablation, and how successful was it.
Any feedback welcome
Thanks
Blake

Hi, welcome among us.
Just my two cents about cryoablation...
It's a safe and efficient ablation technology, but keep in mind it's conceived for pulmonary veins isolation, nothing else.
As it's the most common path for unwanted ectopics entering our left atrium and triggering afib, it's usually very efficient, but in case we have cells misfiring elsewhere in our atria, they have to be ablated with a RF catheter. A cryoballoon can't make it.
I suggest you ask your EP about that.

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KiwiBlake
Hi all
Just joined this forum, I'm looking for a bit of support and advice.
I'm in New Zealand. I have been experiencing occasional Afib for past 2 years. I get an afib episode randomly, typically monthly, but can go 2 or 3 months with no issue. Seems to be stress related.
I have been in emergency department at hospital 4 times in the last 2 years as a precaution if it doesn't resolve it's self within a day.
I am on daily Diltiazem (120mg) and Flecanide (100mg).
Following my fist afib experience I was also identified as having Hypothyroidism and am on Levothyroxine (50mcg).
I am a 50 year old male, 173cm tall and weigh 68kg. My blood pressure is 124/80. I am reasonably fit, do a bit of mountain biking, and have a job that is often physical (farming). Light drinker, share a bottle of wine on a Friday-Saturday night with the wife.
I have been on the public waiting list for Cryo Ablation. I am booked in for this on the 13th July, so in approx 7 weeks.
I am interested in hearing from anyone in my age group who has had an Ablation, and how successful was it.
Any feedback welcome
Thanks
Blake

I to am from NZ and wondering what clinic you are going to?

Hi

I'm in Taranaki. I've been going to the cardiology unit at Taranaki Hospital. The operation is going to be at Waikato Hospital.
What part of the country are you in?

Hi,
This is just my personal experience, so take it for what it’s worth.
When I was first diagnosed with afib I had no idea what that meant.
Long story short, I took the advice of an EP at a “world famous” hospital and had a cryo ablation done.
Turns out, for me it was a total waste of time, for the reasons Pompom mentioned above. (If your afib is originating anywhere other than around the pulmonary veins, a cryo index ablation is a waste of time because it has a zero chance of working).
I then got serious about researching ablations, found this place, and am currently in normal rhythm via Dr Natale.
A couple years later a relative of mine got afib. She wanted to do cryo but I was able to convince her to go to Dr Natale for RF.
Luckily for her she did. Like me, her afib was being triggered from multiple places, including the LAA, and cryo would have been a wasted procedure. Instead, Dr Natale also got her to NSR via RF.
Cryo index ablations are by design so limited, I personally wouldn’t do it. Ablations aren’t the worst experience in the world, but it’s not exactly a day at the beach either and like all surgeries it involves risks.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2022 12:49AM by Mac.

Thanks Mac
What is exactly is RF? Can you give an explanation or I can Google RF and Dr Natale.

I have to admit I am somewhat nervous about the Ablation. For me there seems to he a clear link between stress and going into AF. Since developing this condition 2 years ago (I had never heard of AFib), I have learnt to manage stress a lot better, to the point that I can go months without AF, so my life is relatively stress free.

I guess the decision I need to make is whether to go ahead with Ablation and I've been told by cardiology that if successful I should be able to drop the meds (Diltiazem and Flecanide), or do I continue as I currently am. Here in NZ we have a free public health system, so the Ablation is free, but if I turn it down I may not be eligible again and if it gets worse I would have to pay for it to be done at a private hospital which would be very expensive.

I am always conscious of my heart beat. Even as I write this I can feel my heart beat, pounding in my chest, nice and slow and regular (about 60bpm), but pounding like I've been exercising - is that normal? My blood pressure is good 124/80 measured last week at Dr clinic. I've had a heart scan and everything was normal.

I appreciate the feedback
Thanks
Blake

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KiwiBlake
Hi

I'm in Taranaki. I've been going to the cardiology unit at Taranaki Hospital. The operation is going to be at Waikato Hospital.
What part of the country are you in?

I have sent you a private message.

My 1st ablation was a CRYO in 2017 that i req. myself + it was only able to freeze off about 60% of my PV's because the EP said that the balloons would not fit in my PV's properly to expand + cover all the tissue due to an unusual form of some of my PV's + the fact that i had 5 PV's (10% of people have 5 PV's) The 60% or so of my PV's he did freeze was perfectly done but overall it did not help...it took a RF (radio freq.) ablation exactly 1 year later that finished off the remaining 40% that has kept me in NSR since. If i were you knowing what i know i would not cancel the procedure but simply get them to change your ablation to a RF one even if that means you have to wait a little longer to get on the EP's table. As stated on other posts a CRYO ablation is only limited to the PV's + in my case IT COULD NOT EVEN FINISH THAT LIMITED TASK ITSELF. Going with a RF ablation the EP has so many more options once he is in there compared to the CRYO. You might be just fine with a CRYO ablation however because around 75-80% or so who have afib are PV only related so if you do not have any PV's like me or are in that 20-25% other area of the heart related afib people your should be fine.

GL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2022 12:48PM by vanlith.

Kia ora

Just been reading the info sheet for my upcoming procedure. The surgeon does either Cryo or RF. I haven't had my pre op meeting with the surgeon yet, so yet to find out which procedure they are planning.

It's only a day procedure. I have to take a blood thinner 1 month leading up to the op.

Nga mihi
Blake