Ablation to have or not to have

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi, everyone, I'm new here. i had a cryo-ablation on 21st August 2014. I was diagnosed with PAF., in June 2012. I was put on Flecanaide, Bisoprolol @ Aspirin. Cardio stopped Flecanaide in September 2012. I was on Bisoprolol until about October 2013. I then asked my cardiologist if he could change to a calcium channel blocker, so I could get a medical to go to work, as a beta blocker contradained me getting a medical. he put me on Adizem. I stopped taking Adizem in May 2014 as it wasn't stopping my few episodes of AF., which weren't bad episodes and didn't really affect my tolerance to the many exercise regimes that I do. I'm nearly 66 years old, weigh 68kg., have BP average about 118/75 and pulse rate of between 60 to 71. I personally am glad I've had ablation as it will hopefully get my life back to where it was pre-PAF. It's purely a personal decision, along with your cardio and EP., My EP., has told me that because I am very fit, he thinks that I will be AF free for the future. I believe that level of fitness before ablation has a big impact on whether you will need more than one ablation, if you decide to go down that road. I'm now only taking Apaxiban 5mg., twice daily and after three months, hopefully will be medication free. Hope this helps anyone considering ablation or not to have ablation. 

2 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Viber, just wanted to say how much I appreciated your message, especially writing it only 3 days after your ablation! I had my first PAF episode a year ago, they weren't very often at first but over the last 3 months have varied between daily and every second day. My symptoms were very unpleasant and scary at first but have reduced quite a bit since I've been on Bisoprolol and Diltiazem, altho not in frequency. I live in NZ and have not been very happy with my Cardiologist, he said he would not refer me for an ablation, so in Sept I am flying to another city to have a private appointment with an EP. I am 68 and kept fit before my AF started. I now find it difficult to walk for more than 20mins because I get breathless or feel dizzy/faint with palpitations. I'm really considering asking if I can have an ablation because I too want my life back, so reading your message made me even more sure that I want to give it a go. Thankyou, please let us know how you get on post ablation. All the best. Maggie
  • Posted

    Hello maggie 34838. Thanks for reading my post and I'm now on my third day post ablation and I feel really good. I know from the AFA., website that there are people who say that they have problems post ablation, but I can honestly say that I feel

    100%. As you will of read from my last post, I didn't suffer very much even when I

    Was having an episode of AF. I was still going on my bike ride every evening and to be honest I never got breathless. I used to feel that I had less energy when I was in AF., but to varying degrees. When I was referred to a cardiology deparment at Manchester Royal Infirmary, after having a seven day mobile ECG., monitor, I had a consultation with a cardiologist and to be honest I was under the impression that he

    was trying to talk me out of having an ablation, just by the fact that he asked me

    what age are you. I told him I was 65, but that I was an individual and that my

    physical condition was not the same as every 65 year old guy. I also told him that I

    wanted to go back to work and he asked me, how long do you intend working for. I

    told him as long as I could get work and as long as I felt I could do the type of work

    I do. I got the feeling I was having an interview not a consultation, but from my

    experience, you have to be positively minded. I get the impression that the medical people try to pass you off as being too old and can exist on medication. Well I'm a

    very strong minded person, who has a very positive attitude to my fitness and

    therefore will not let someone dictate that they know whats best for me. The EP.,

    that did my procedure, I couldn't praise him more, he told me he was very postive

    about what the outcome for me would be post ablation because when he saw me

    for the first time, he realised I was not the normal overweight out of condition 65

    year old. So if your positive, be pushy and I'm sorry you think you hsve to have a

    private consultation to try to get an ablation. Also if you do go ahead with it, ask

    questions of the EP.,who you will be refrred to. Ask how many he/she has done and

    what % rate of success they have acheived. Also ask what procedure they will use

    I don't know about NZ.,but there are three procedures for PAF., radio frequency,

    which is old technology, cryo-ablation, which is what I had and laser ablation,

    which is the latest procedure. My EP., I've got to mention his name because I think he warrants mentioning because all his staff praise him for his qualities, his name

    is Dr. Muhyaldeen. I had local anaesthetic and sedation and although some of the procedure was uncomfortable and a little bit of pain, but that was my fault, as they

    told me to let them know if I felt anything and they would give me more, but I just

    put up with it. Having ablation is probably not the same for everyone, but having

    said that, if I had to have it again I wouln't hesitate, although my EP., is very

    confident that I will not have any reccurence of AF, hopefully. I didn't take any

    medication prior to ablation, apart from Aspirin and my EP., said after procedure,

    he only wanted me on Apixaban for the three month settling down period. I feel so

    good now after only three days post ablation I feel as though I never had AF., in my

    life before. I'll keep you posted periodically Maggie and if what I've experienced is

    all ablation is, go for it Maggie, nothing to worry about and be positive thinking

    about getting your life back on track

    All the best

    Viber(John)

    • Posted

      Hi John, You're an inspiration!! and thanks again for sharing your experience. Yes you do have to be pushy and not be fobbed off with 'You'll be fine on medications (plus side effects) for the rest of your life'. I feel like you that it's worth giving ablation a go if the possibilty is good that you'll be free of AF afterwards. Also a positive attitude is very important - our health and enjoyment of life is paramount.

      Don't think we have Apixaban here, just Warfarin (which I'm on) or Dabigatran - sounds like you probably won't be on anything soon - Great!

      All the best Maggie

  • Posted

    Hi Viber I am in such a position at the moment - to have or not to have. I am due a catheter ablation in a few weeks time and reading the various submissions on this forum regarding the success rate and the various problems people have had I am in limbo wondering what to do. Having had just one incident of AF since September last year my problems with it seem insignificant compared to some and at my age (77) I am wondering whether I should stay on my medication or should I go for it?  My problems at the moment relate to blood pressure and periodic palpitations. My medication comprises 5mg Bisoprolol, 2.5mg Ramipril, and various doses of Warfarin. I am also taking 20mg Pantoprazole. It was very interesting reading about your experiencies and the eventual outcome which is somewhat reassuring.

    I to am fairly fit and play golf two or three times a week. If I do 'go for it' I hope my results compare favourably with yours. Best Regards Joiner

    • Posted

      Hi joiner, I didn't have any hesitation about having ablation. Remember for those who say it wsdn't successful for them, there others who it is successful for and apart from your blood pressure problem, which can be overcome if you've not had an episode of AF., for nearly a year, your chances of a successful ablation Re very high. The procedure is nothing to worry about in my opinion. Before they take you to the catheter lab., the EP., who does your procedure has to tell you all the possible risks involved, but everytine you go to get on an airplane or bus or train, if they told you about the possibilties of being killed in an accident then people would just not travel. My AF wssn't particularly bad, but I wanted to go back to work, so ablation has given me the xhance to di that, but I'd of still gone for it anyway. Good luck in whatever you decide and remember think positive and as you say fitness is on your side.

               Regards

                  viber

    • Posted

      G'day Joiner. I would take a look at side-effects of Ramipril as it can cause palpitations, the very thing us PAFers don't want. I was diagnosed Ramipril for high BP and shortly afterwards developed PAF. Was there a connection? Who knows.
  • Posted

    Excuse the spelling mistakes please, doing this sat on a wall and on a fiddly little qwerty keyboard.
  • Posted

    Hi maggie, my EP., told me that he would put me on warfarin post ablation. I saked him if it was possible to have one of the newer anticoagulants as I didn't want to be going for blood tests every two weeks. He said noproblem and put me on apaxiban 5.mg, from what I can gather here in the UK., warfarin costs pennies, any other anticoagulant costs pounds, but so does going for blood tests every couple of weeks,

    so it doesn't seem logical to me taking warfarin. One cardiologist that wrote on a

    report that was to my GP., she said that because of my age she was recommending that my GP., put me on warfarin sometime in the future. I told her there and then

    that I wasn't going on warfarin and that there were new anticoagulants that had

    been approved for use on the NHS. She said to me that they didn't know what the

    long term affects of the new medications would be. She actually said to me and I

    couldn't believe what I was hearing, they may cause cancer in the long term and

    that because there wasn't any long term feed back about the new drugs,

    nobody knew of the possible effects of taking them. I presume that when they

    develop new drugs in this day and age, they must be aware of any possible long

    term problems that they may cause. I told her that seeing as I was nearly 65,

    what would long term reflect on me. It's all about cost and nothing else, so if your

    not pushy here they will try to palm you off with the cheapest alternative.

    Obviously not enough patients question doctors, I know personally many people

    who are on warfarin and thats just because there docotrs have prescribed it and

    they either don't have the knowledge about the newer anticoagulants or they

    just accept what there GP's say, I have always asked questions in my life, thats

    the way to learn and not be fobbed off. Hope this helps you.

    Regards

    Viber

    • Posted

      Hi John, Thanks for that information. I was on aspirin but read articles that said it wasn't recommended for AF anymore as a stroke prevention measure, so I actually asked to go on Warfarin. I also researched the newer drugs but read that they haven't yet developed antidotes for them so there had been cases of people bleeding to death after accidents etc So, don't know whether I was right but I opted for Warfarin - I don't mind the blood tests which usually end up at monthly when you become stable.

      Thanks Maggie

  • Posted

    Hi maggie, thats something to think about, but myslef I've been in more

    predicaments on airplanes and traveling around the world to let something like no antidote be in my thoughts. Also had some close shaves whilst working under the oceans and seas of the world, so I tend to take whatever life throws at me. I think

    that you would have to be very unlucky if medical access was reasonably

    accessible to bleed to death. I don't know what the position is with regard to no

    antidote, but I don't think for one minute that any medical profession would prescribe any medication that if you had a bleed of some sort you were guranteed to bleed

    to death, just my thoughts, but its best for your peace f mind if you decide warfarin

    is best for you. Also I'm hoping that after three months of maybe less my EP.,will

    stop my anticoagulant medication.

    Regards

    viber

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