Ablation Reassurance Required

[JoKelly]

I am now to be assessed for suitability for ablation following a history of increasing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.  I keep on reading of post procedure problems and non effectiveness of this treatment and although I am normally not easily freaked, I am beginning to feel anxious about giving permission for the whole procedure.  Can I hear from some success stories?  Does this really cure AF?

[JoKelly]

Many thanks for the replies.  I guess you could say the reviews are very mixed and we can only take medical advice.  I am now 69 but youthful and active in between episodes.   AF leaves me feeling so fatigued for a week afterwards.  You know, I could put up with it all, but it is the uncertainty of occurrence which is influencing me toward a possible cure with ablation.  I feel I cannot make plans to visit away from home (especially out of the country and US in particular) as I just don't know when I may get the attack which doesn't self revert.  I have watched my husband go from paroxysmal to permanent AF without treatment and he is on Warfarin for ever.  Warfarin makes me sleepless and also makes my hair fall out.  At present I am just on low dose aspirin and Bisoprolol.  I suppose I am willing to risk ablation not curing me, but fear becoming one of those who report their condition became worse, ie pains etc.

[merileegal]

I understand your concern comletely! I like others had an ablation for SVT and so far I've not had anymore attacks. There is a much higher success rate for SVT than afib from everything I've read. Some good points have been made so far. Make sure you ep is one who has done many, many procedures. Don't be afraid to ask him about his success rate and how many he's done. I also hesitated before I finally had my ablation and I made an appt. with my ep to ask more questions. My ep taught other doctors how to do these ablations at a university and he's done between 2500 and 3000. I asked him point blank if he felt confident in his ability to do mine successfully without ending up with a pacemaker. He said he was. My ablation closed off the slow pathway in my AV node. He explained that he himself wouldn't trust this procedure to just any ep. He's semi retired so I asked him to give me a referral to another in case I ever need to go back and he was very thoughful about the name he gave me. The point of this lengthy explanation is to make sure your ep is successful and respected in his field.

Another thing to consider are  the advances that have been made over the last 10 years in treating different kinds of arrythmias. My ep told me that 10 years ago, my chances of having a pacemaker were around 20 percent as opposed to the less than 1% when I had mine done.

I guess you also have to consider how bad your afib is right now and what your chances are of getting it fixed. Chances are in your favor for an improvement. Don't be afraid of the ablation itself.  Going to the dentist was more painful for me.  Hope this helps.

[bigkev414]

Hi -
I can't comment about success rates or otherwise but my wife (aged now a very young 72)
was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation about four years ago which was triggered by a dental injection, and she fainted and they discovered the A Fib.. Her heartbeat is irregular all he time, and she takes warfarin, Tenormin for heart rate control, and Micardis for blood pressure control. She hates taking the drugs but they don't seem to have any side affects for her. Fortunately she doesn't feel her irregular heartbeats, and the cardiologist will not carry out an ablation because of her age (then 68) and also because he says she will be OK provided she keeps taking the drugs and nothing gets worse. He is a very respected man, and highly thought of by the nursing staff and doctors in the hospital,  which tells a story in itself.
Strangely enough I have suffered from SVT's for about 15 years, triggered by an 'overdose' of Sudafed for sinus relief, and also take Tenormin which is very affective although it makes me tired and upsets my stomach a bit. I feel every irregular beat and continually fret and panic but thankfully don't experience the SVT's very often now.
I'm waffling a bit but the nub of it all is that we have both been advised that ablation is the very last resort, and neither of us should have it done. I do know somebody who had two ablations for SVT's which were stress induced and neither were permanently successful. He went to the Mayo clinic in the US for his because he is wealthy (less after paying their bills) and we live in Australia and have first world private cardiac clinics where we were treated. Get a second opinion before you commit is our advice. Best of luck..

[SDalb]

I had a PVI ablation for Paroxysmal A Fib August 30, last year.  The first 3 weeks after were rough.Now I am off all meds.  I still get short runs that last a minute or once or twice a week  and have had one episode that lasted about an hour two months ago.  All of which converted on their own. The rest of the time I am in normal sinus rhythm. I would do it again in a heart beat.  I am back to riding by bicycle to work and feeling normal again.  My EP told me a month ago that I might need another ablation in the future. That is because of the atrial tachycardia that occurred the first three weeks and the other short break throughs.  But that could be in a month to 5 years.  Either way, I would do it again.  For me not being in afib is worth going through another ablation if needed.  I hope this helps,

[tom_h]

I can't comment on on ablation for AFib as I had SVT.  But the process is the same.  Yes there is some trepidation in literally signing your life away, but know that just about everyone that you'd want to be in a room during an emergency is standing over you.  Some of us have forum journals which explain the procedure and I can point you to them if you'd like.  Good luck to you!