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3 month blanking period for ablation success

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suzanne48640
suzanne48640

i had my ablation surgery 2 months ago for afib and a flutter.  The worst part of it was the stress leading up to it. The surgery took about 3 hours and I was completely unconscious and felt nothing. Was in the hospital overnight and released the next day.  Had a tiny bruise at my groin  and nothing more. I've never had any symptoms of afib along with many normal EKGs but a 24-HR halter monitor showed I was in afib 57% of the 24 hour period.  I chose to have the surgery to get off medications I was taking. Currently my pulse rate goes from 59 up to 130 at various times during he day. I'm still on Pradaxa and Rythmol. I've been told because of my age and the fact that I have no afib symptoms, i should stay on Pradaxa the rest of my life. Hopefully, if the surgery was successful, I will be able to get off the Rythmol and blood pressure pill. The negative side affects from these medications are fatigue, heartburn and indigestion, dizziness, metallic taste of all food to name a few.  I have one month to go before my holster test again to see if surgery was successful. I'm told that the three month wait after ablation is to give scar tissue a chance to form around the blood vessels that had cryo ablation.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed hat this works. 

 

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  • siaw56215
    siaw56215 suzanne48640

    Posted

    Hi Susanne,

    Wishing you a speedy recovery. I had ablation more than 2 years ago. It freed me from WPW (WolfParkinsonWhite Syndrome) but I was physically weak post ablation.

    Doctor checked and informed I had AF. Said they sighted the AF during ablation and thought it was transient. I decided not to do anoother ablation when the Holter confirmed I had AF. I opted instead for a heart pacer as success was more assured.

    Installed my pacer on Dec. 1st 2015 and my pacer check on the 18th May confirmed it is working well and the battery is good for 10 years. I complained of lethargy and my cardiologist said it is likely due to my physical fitness and lifestyle.

    I have started practising Qi Dong (or Chi Kung) again and look forward to resuming golf. The culprit , I suspect, is the cholesterol reducing drugs which I have been consuming for many years.

    I am afraid it's a no-win situation.

    • suzanne48640
      suzanne48640 siaw56215

      Posted

      Thanks for your response and the info you shared.  They haven't suggested a pacemaker for me -- yet.  I have heard that cholesterol drugs can cause muscle aches and lethargy.  I figure since I'm on a blood thinner, I'm not going to worry about a stroke from high cholesterol.

      Also, for anyone who might be reading this and is on coumidin or one of the newer blood thinners -- you should know that the reason people stayed on coumidin was because they had a reversal factor (in case of emergency surgery or accident).  But you had to have your blood monitored regularly.  The newer drugs need no moniitoring but up until recently had no reveral factor.  Last October, pradaxa just came out with a reversal.  SOOOOO, if you are on coumidin -- talk to your cardio about getting off it and goingon to pradaxa.  the docs like the newer drugs because they appear to work better

      Good luck -- hope this last paragraph I've written helps others.

  • viber
    viber suzanne48640

    Posted

    Stress leading up to it? I had an ablation July 2014, three hours on the table, then told the equipment had malfunctioned and that I'd have to go back to go through it all again, which I did exactly four weeks to the day after my first failed ablation. Second time it was successful, well upto now, nearly two years post ablation. Anyone else had similar experience?
    • suzanne48640
      suzanne48640 viber

      Posted

      The stress I had leading up to the ablation that I was so afraid of the operation itself. Otherwise, I lead a wonderful stress-free life -- except for this problem.  (I can awaken from a nap and be in afib). 

      So sorry u had the problems u did with the operation itself. But that's great that you've been afib free for two years. 

      My operation went well - at mayo clinic, but as I've mentioned before, I won't know if it was successful until the end of this month since I'm still in the ablation blanking period.  

       

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