How many A-Fib or elestrophysiology proceedure can one have

[donrr]

Hello, I will be going in for my third Afib surgery this june 26th.  The last one helped, but my doctor it did not completly work.  My choise was changing my drugs, I am taking Multaq, which has not worked. Or going in the hospital for three days in order to go on a drug, (can't remember the name) which may or may not work.  I trust my doctor so I choose the proceedure.  The doctor say't it is still a 70% chance the proceedure will work.  Can anyone offer any help on if my choise is correct?  

[ireneo]

Electrophysiology is where they study the electrical workings of the heart. Sometimes they will do an EP study, go in, track the electrical workings and then come back out. But most often they will do the EP study, map out the problem areas and then ablate them.

I've had 3 ablations and will stop at that. My tachys are improved, not gone, but certainly more tolerable than before.

I would rely on my cardiologist if I was still having a-fib to make the recommendations. Then again, I adore my EP doc.

[Jerry_NJ]

Sorry, I see looking back your reference to " electrophysiology"   I don't know what that is, but it isn't Ablation. So my previous reply may have no relationship to your question - sorry.

[Jerry_NJ]

I will assume the "procedure" or the "surgery" is a Ablation.  

In my experience Ablation is resorted to if the patient has severe symptoms from AFib.  I am in permanent AFib and an Ablation is not being considered because of the risk/reward.  That is the risk is too high given my symptoms are tolerable - or mostly so, I have had to slow down on my "power" exercise (running and fast bike riding, and hard hikes) but I am otherwise mostly symptom free (albeit I can fell the irregularity of my HR if I pay real close attention).  

More about me than you may want to know, but it helps frame my answer.

If you symptoms are in some way(s) debilitating and your doctor recommends an Ablation, then I'd say go for it.  Multiple Ablations are very common to my reading.  I don't know what percentage achieve success in one Ablation, maybe most....something like your forecasted 70%.

Good luck.