Ablation recovery - A-Fib vs A-flutter or SVT

[Mommy2TnL]

Has anyone experienced both A-Fib and A-flutter/SVT ablations?  If so, was the recovery more difficult with the A-Fib?  

I had a A-flutter ablation this summer.  Now I am having A-fib issues and I'm scheduled for an ablation in January.  I'm not at all afraid of the ablation, but I was wondering if the A-fib ablation has a longer recovery time.  My EP was explaining that when you ablate A-flutter it's about a 15 mm worth of ablation.  He said the A-Fib is more like a 60 mm circular job.  That seems to be quite a difference, so I'm just curious.

The A-fib seems more involved since they told me to start taking a blood thinner 2 weeks prior to the ablation and it will take longer, plus having to stay the night in the hospital.  

[Mommy2TnL]

Thanks guys!  

I'm pretty sure my first ablation was not in the left atrium because my EP told me, "I have no idea why you're experiencing A-fib since the 1st ablation....I wasn't even in that area of the heart."  He also mentioned that he has been doing ablations for 20+ years and has never seen someone go in for an SVT ablation and end up having bad A-fib afterwards with no sign of it prior to.  

He told me that I have an 85% chance of it working.  I'm not quite as confident since everything so far seems to be rare or weird with my heart....so who knows what they'll discover this time.  If they fix it that will be great.  I don't know if it's really going to change much since they can't fix my Junctional Tachycardia.  Although it sounds like the A-fib combined with the medication is what is causing my heart to pause at night.  

Either way, I'm looking forward to the ablation and hoping at the very least I can get more answers.  

[Jerry_NJ]

While I have a lot of experience with AFib, even heart surgery, I have no experience with ablation.  I do understand, however, the ablation for AFib is one of the more (if not the most) complicated and invasive of ablations.  So, I'd expect it to be a bit more difficult for the patient too than ablation for flutter.

I know ablation for AFib has to take place in the left atrium and that is part of the complexity... I don't know about atrial flutter - suppose it too is the left side, but I do not in fact know.

You didn't specifically mention, but it is assumed your doctor believes there is a good chance (I'd say over 75% is good) of success.  Wishing success!

[vbluraschi]

Hi, my cardiologist told me that depending on how much they have to burn in my ablation, I can go home the next day or the day after that. So I guess the recovery from A-fib is going to be longer than the A-flutter one.

Sorry I can't help you more and keep me posted on your health, OK?  :-)