AFib Ablation Success by. Age Group

[BAB411]

The success rates of AFib ablation that I have seen show only totals, don't distinguish the results by age.  Even though there may be indications that the procedure becomes less likely to succeed and probably also more dangerous with advancing age.

Can you suggest information and/or sources of ablation results by age group - including success rates, side effects, frequency of death?  

Also, is there information as to the effect of the physical condition of a patient having the AF ablation procedure on the outcome?  For example, can an 80-year old man still be a good ablation candidate if he is in very good physical condition?

[twinbee]

For info like that go to the website afibbers.org. They do alot of surveys.

[Jerry_NJ]

I read your post to say you've done some web searches and haven't found an answer.  I am surprised.

On input I can give is that I've been told many times that the longer one is in AFib the less likely (lower probability) it is that ablation will be successful, or any other form of conversion.  That said, older people would likely be longer term cases.  But, if your subject 80 YO healthy man has intermittent and recent AFib problems, I'd guess ablation would have similar results to younger people, albeit older people take longer to heal...assume this applies to healing from an ablation too.

Hope you get some hard data.