The thread is titled: "What is the longest you've been afib-free after an ablation?" Not "how many are AFib free after one year" There are various milestones after a CA. 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, and 5 years. 5 year data is long-term success. If it was not important, it would not be quoted in the study that I referred to. The only thing that was special aboby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you, Carey. I appreciate that. I hope that you are well. I will read your reference and will also search for the exact numbers, but one year monitoring is not long-term. The drop-off (recurrence of AFib post CA) after five years is something like 30%. Thanks again. Saul.by saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
I personally feel that luck plays a part. If you get a lone AFib patient with a RF (or cryo-balloon) accessible heart, and can create continuous lesions that are transmural, you will have a successful outcome. I also watched a video showing the the electrical mapping of the heart showed errant foci in a different location, when it was tested again hours later. Stay well.by saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gloaming, it's not a problem. I am simply trying to get a research paper that confirms a high success rate, long term, no medications, after a single procedure. . Carey messaged me that he will forward a report that shows 90% success, including persistent AFib patients. Should I receive this from Carey, I will stand humbled and will be very pleased !by saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Daisy, Hi Carey As I mentioned, I would love to read a paper. either peer-reviewed or even by the EP themselves touting 90% success rate - long term and no antiarrhythmic medications - after a single CA. I have searched high and low for the evidence and all I ask is that if you quote figures that you link to the evidence. A large study showed that the recurrence rates after a single CAby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Daisy. Can you share a paper for any EP that confirms 90% long-term success rate after a single ablation? I would love to see it. Sby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
????? Gloaming said: "It's a confounding factor, obviously, because if people get what should be successful ablations, say running 90%, but some go on to eat more sensibly, have other comorbidities fixed, get more sleep, get more exercise, have healthier relationships, or lose bad ones, etc, etc,, I can't help but wonder if it's something WE'RE doing and not something tby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good evening Daisy. I am in Greece ! I love the afibbers.org site of Dr Larsen. One of the very best. I tried the Steven Carr method but it hadn't worked for me. I hope that you are well.by saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello, Ken. I am not knocking CAs. If they are available and affordable and you are fit enough to have them, they are for you. For me at 76, the thought of having multiple CAs and having to fund them myself is not feasible. I had to correct Gloaming's sweeping statement that CAs are 80% successful. The criteria for success are: long term without AFib episodes (longer than 30 seconds), aby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you, Gloaming, for the link. The article mentions, in the first paragraph: "Success rates vary between 60% and 80%, for paroxysmal AF (PAF), depending on ablation strategies, and between 50% and 60% for persistent AF.4,5" I followed the footnote (4) to the original study: "Long-term outcomes of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-anby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Could you link please to the article. Ta !by saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Gloaming. The very first Google search "catheter ablation success rate" states: "Our group previously reported stable sinus rhythm in 80% of patients with PAF after multiple procedures and a follow-up of 5 years on antiarrhythmic drugs.2 Success rates of catheter ablation for persistent (Pers) AF are lower, and reported between 56–70% after multiple procedures and afteby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
I agree. My research leads me to believe that just 50% (and possibly lower) of single catheter ablations are completely successful after five years, with no anti-arrhythmic medications, If you factor in persistent cases, 40% is the success rate after five years (as quoted by cardiac surgeon James Cox).by saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Carey Would you be able to point me to a survey showing 75% success rate: no Afib after 5 years, no medications, single procedure. My figures are more like 50% success rate. Thank you. Saulby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
The Wolf Mini Maze is not new. Dr Wolf has been doing it since 2004 and Dr Ohtsuka since 2008 in Tokyo. It is thoracoscopic from both sides of the chest and the incisions are small and hardly show after 4 months. In fact, Dr Wolf is the originator of the mini-maze and also co-invented some AtriCure instruments used in the procedure. Between them they have done over 5,000 procedures with stelby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had the WMM (Wolf Mini Maze) in Tokyo 4 months ago. It is done by Dr Ohtsuka who trained with Dr Wolf. Dr Wolf mentions possible atrial flutter in patients who have had several unsuccessful catheter ablations, due to the scarring inside the heart. I was five years paroxysmal AFib and since the Op I am in NSR every day all day. After the WMM you are off anti-coagulants and after three monthsby saulger - AFIBBERS FORUM