Post Ablation heart care

I am scheduled for Natale ablation in October. Just learned that a good friend is getting married 3 days after. Attending would require travel, etc. I am wondering about how much care/caution I should take in the days immediately post-ablation. Words of experience/wisdom? Thanks.

You may have the 10 pound weight limit. Perhaps someone can lift your luggage.

No problem at all except for the lifting restriction Susan mentioned. You'll be limited to lifting no more than 10 lbs for 5 days.

Sorry but If I were you, I would not go to the wedding. I would give my heart enough time to heal fully. Your heart is your top priority.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2023 09:50AM by Yuxi.

Quote
swhanson
I am scheduled for Natale ablation in October. Just learned that a good friend is getting married 3 days after. Attending would require travel, etc. I am wondering about how much care/caution I should take in the days immediately post-ablation. Words of experience/wisdom? Thanks.

Yes, the 10 lb restriction and also the requirement to stay in Austin for a couple of days after the ablation—it would be tight! How you feel after your ablation varies a lot from person to person. Some are ready to go back to a normal schedule in a couple of days, some are more affected by the general anesthesia and other factors like the couple of days of sleep deprivation. I had to be at St. David’s at 5:15 am which, for me, meant not much sleep the night before. Then it is hard to sleep the next night in the hospital with people coming in and out of your room to take vitals, draw blood etc. You will be in touch with various people from St. David’s before your ablation and that would be a good question to ask.

Depends... if this your friends first wedding?

If it was their second or third, I'd take it with a grain of salt. The same as they did their first wedding.

For the same reason, I don't go to visit the cancer ward of those that smoked cigarettes, I don't attend serial weddings.

Every patient has his/her limits after an ablation, and you'll find yours. It would be unfortunate if you learned after takeoff that you had reached yours. However, if you feel well the day before, and take it easy, with help, at the airport, and are not normally averse to the stresses of air travel and all that it entails, you should probably plan to go.

Basically, it will be a craps shoot. You may be happy to get home and you'll be fine, even energized,. The next day you may find yourself having felt a sledge hammer blow.

I had an ablation by Dr. Natale last August 2022. I never had any issues post ablation and never wanted any therefore I took it easy.
You only have one chance to let your heart heal so do it. I would not attend the wedding. I felt great after mine but still no lifting and power walking for 2 wks. No alcohol. I have had normal sinus rhythm with no blips. You will be in the hands of the best and you should feel blessed.

I'm curious what those who think one needs to "take it easy" think that means. Going to a wedding is nothing more than some walking, which any EP will tell you that you should do ASAP following the procedure. No doctor on the planet would advise you to stay in bed or on the couch. As long as you avoid lifting, which can be accomplished with a little planning, I don't see any issue whatsoever with attending a wedding. There's nothing about air travel or attending a wedding that puts stress on the heart.

Sure, some people feel knocked out following an ablation, but most don't. I've had six and I felt perfectly fine after every one of them. With the exception of the Natale ablation after which I remained in Austin for 2 days, I returned to work on the second day after each of them. It was a desk job, so all that involved was walking and sitting. In fact, after ablation #5 I went for a 50-mile bike ride in hilly terrain 3 days after the procedure and I had the EP's full blessing. That's not a brag; it's just fact. I felt perfectly fine and the EP saw no reason to avoid the ride.

The one tricky part will be that if you stay in Austin the 2 days they ask you to, you're going to be cutting it really close.

No clear answer, we are all different. The 10 lb. lifting restriction is because of the femoral vein catheter insertions, not your heart. My last ablation was day surgery, and I was walking two miles the day after.

IDK, there is a lot of physical dancing at weddings that may tire him out. I’ve seen some energetic weddings. If he goes as a spectator and doesn’t dance all night, then sitting some of the evening out to rest, he may be just fine.

It’s overall bad timing. It’s the potential two days post in Austin, as Carey mentioned, that may make it close unless he flies directly from a hospital bed setting to the wedding venue in hope that the plane flight could be restful. Everyone is different, but flying is not restful because one’s legs don’t recline up to fully rest, even if he gets first class. You need to check with the airlines. I had a very uncomfortable first class flight on Alaska Airlines from CA to NY because there was no lift for my legs. My 1st class seat with United airlines was great on the other hand.

He should get a window seat so he doesn’t have to leave his seat frequently when others in his row have to use the bathroom. Getting up and down frequently from a cramped seat after an ablation is not pleasant for the groin incision. I did that after a major surgery once.

Perhaps if he decides to go to the wedding, he could request the first ablation of the day to buy him more time to recuperate.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2023 05:18PM by susan.d.

Riding 50 miles in hilly terrain is far more exertion than dancing ever could be; trust me on that.

Bottom line is if you're one of the majority like me who feel perfectly fine after an ablation, I just don't see any reason to refrain from going to a wedding. It's just walking, possibly some dancing, and your EP wants you moving.

Thanks all for your comments and experiences.

Hi swhanson,

If you are like a lot of us you won't be fealing fantastic a couple of days after your ablation, so I would suggest you go to the wedding and take it easy. I would also recommend giving the 50 mile bike ride a miss.

Be very careful.

I had strict instructions to take it easy. I thought I was... rested a day then, back to walking my 6-8 km a day, a bike ride or two, shopping, etc.
I developed a large hematoma in my groin after both procedures. Needless to say my EP was unimpressed.
That said, I can't say I wouldn't do the same again. ( I'm fairly pig headed about my body and what's good for me.)
Take care.

I would not go to the wedding. Way too many variables at play. As others have mentioned, the recovery varies from person to person and you won't really know how you'll feel 3 days after the ablation. You won't be in any pain or anything like that, but you'll likely be physically exhausted due to the lack of sleep you'll no doubt experience. And do you really want to be at a wedding just three days after your ablation?

After every Natale ablation I've had, and I've had 3 now, they told me about the weight restriction but they also told me to "take it easy" the first week. I could resume exercise after one week. I gave myself a minimum of four full days in Austin after every ablation just in case anything weird happened during my recovery. I wanted the peace of mind that I would be down there and not on a plane or back home. I also didn't want to be rushed. I wanted to relax and chill physically and mentally for a few days after each ablation before jumping on a plane and heading home, but that's just how I roll. I don't like unnecessary stress. I will always error on the side of giving myself more time than I need to recover from any procedure vs rolling the dice that everything will be fine so I can make plans for stuff immediately after.

Travis

I agree with Travis. Everyone heals differently and you may not know how you will feel afterwards and at the wedding. If the wedding was near your home then I would suggest to wait and see how you feel. But the wedding involves traveling which opens up uncertainty.