ablation problems

I am a 64 year old retired actve male 6 feet 1 in. 190 lbs.
I have atrial fib / flutter
In the summer of 09 I had an ablation for flutter.

I had a stress test 2 weeks after the proceedure and
I went into a fib

Before I had the ablation stress tests would not put me
into a fib. I actually can't tell when I'm in a fib

in Feb 2010  1 week before a tennis tournament I entered
I fainted well walking to the garbage container outside.

In march 2010 1 day before a tennis tournament I entered
I fainted again. This time when I fell I skinned my head and I was
in a fib.

I take 20mg of sotalol 2 times a day It knocks my heart rate down
to 43-46 bpm from 56bpm. I also take aspirin twice a day.
apart from this problem I am in good health.

What can I do ?

My questions are : why am I fainting and why would I be worse after the ablation?


This discussion is related to Live Health Chat: Atrial Fibrillation, April 13th (Special Guest Dr. Bruce Lindsay, Cleveland Clinic).

[Jerry_NJ]

You HR may be too low.  A HR in the 40s is too low for most of us.  How is you blood pressure, low too?  That combination is almost a guaranteed faint or dizzy spells.

Is the sotalol a beta blocker?  That could be a contributing problem, and I think BB are not very effective a preventing AFib, they just slow down the HR at the ventricle level, not prevent fibrillation or flutter.

That's the little know that may apply to your experience.  Talk with you doctor about you medication.  If your AFib isn't symptomatic just taking a anticoagulant (Aspirin in the simplest case) may be enough.

[twinbee]

The drug sotalol is a combo drug, beta blocker and anti-arrhythmic. I was on it for a couple of years to treat my a-fib and a-flutter. You are taking 20mg twice a day?? That is a low dose. Can I ask why you just had a flutter ablation, and not an a-fib ablation?? I had my ablation done two years ago for both a-fib and a-flutter. Before my ablation, I had a very rapid a-fib, and I would pass out on occasion. I would talk to your doctor and let them know you are passing out. Good Luck.

[snowman64]

Thanks for your respond

My bp is 126/72

Sotalol is a BB and anti- arrhythmic. I am taking 20mg twice a day because I have
an irregular heart beat. It does knock my heart rate down to 43-46 from 56.
I feel fine most of the time.

Where did you get an ablation done and were you satisfied with your
results?

[snowman64]

Thanks for your comment

Was your ablation successful ?

Where did you get it done as the facilities I
am sent to in Winnipeg  seem to do ablations only
for flutter. I don't think they have Doctors experienced
enough to do ablations for a fib.

I am looking for a facility that has a very good success rate.

[twinbee]

I had my ablation done at Univ of Penn hospital in Pennsylvania. They are one of the top places to go to have an a-fib ablation done. My ablation has been very successful. In January I celebrated my 2 year anniversay of NSR. I am off all drugs, except an aspirin a day. Good Luck. Wishing you well, and wishing you enough..

[snowman64]

Glad you are doing well.

Do you have any idea what the costs for an ablation
and tests would be?

[twinbee]

I do know at the Univ of Penn, my bill was outrageous!! Thank God I have good insurance. My insurance paid for the whole procedure, even thought I went out of state to have it done. I only had to pay a 20.00 co-pay!! I was admitted into the hospital on Tuesday and released on Friday. I had to stay in the hospital until my coumadin levels were acceptable.
I have heard of alot of people who have had ablations done and only had to stay overnight in the hospital. So I think it all depends on the hospital stay.
I have read on a different forum, that many people go over to France and have an ablation done. They have some top EP's, and ablation procedure's there. Check out the website "afibbers.org", you may be able to get alot more info there.