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Atrial Fibrillation

Posted , 12 users are following.

Greebo64
Greebo64

Warning !!

To anyone with AF who is thinking of having ablation surgery

I have some very important info' for this group. I am an AF sufferer since 2008.in 2010 i had my first catheter ablation the new "Arctic front Ablation" [cryo/freezing method] it worked for around 18months but then the AF returned., i put up with it for a couple of years, but I was then recommended another ablation called Point to Point catheter ablation which is the usual or common ablation technique, which burns the problem areas. This was supposed to be "very Low risk minimal invasion Day surgery" with few complications & i was told nothing to worry about we can deal with the complications should any arise. So i went in for the surgery a few ago. During the ablation the prosedure the surgeon peirced a hole in the wall of my heart & he could not stop the bleeding, i was rushed to another theatre [unconcious] where another team had to open my chest, Put me on a bypass machine to enable them to repair the hole & stop the bleeding, i was in theartre a total of around 7 hours, i had to have a transfusion, i was then hept in a comma & put on a life suppoprt machine for 24 hours, following that i was in intensive care for a further 48 hours. several weeks on I am still recovering from this Nightmare.. Also whilst i was in hospital i spoke to another AF ablation patient who had suffered the same heart puncture during the ablation, but he was a bit luckier than me, they managed to stop his bleed without openenig his chest. I have had several different operations over the years & i have never had an issue with bleeding before

My advice to anyone with AF thinking of having an ablation,THINK VERY CAREFULLY, IT IS A DANGEROUS PROCEDURE!!  I almost lost my life

Graham

2 likes, 73 replies

73 Replies

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  • jemma33320
    jemma33320 Greebo64

    Posted

    I had also been prescribed Flecanide, Verapamil and Amiadarone. They all had side effects I couldn't tolerate and eventually they failed and I would go into a-fib. Multaq is the first drug that really worked. Unfortunately, it's expensive.

    Thank you for your helpful information.

  • Kingjerry42
    Kingjerry42 Greebo64

    Posted

    Thank You for the feedback on your incredibly frightening experience which you endured with the ablation procedure.

    I go to the VA & my heart Doctor has suggested to me numerous times the Ablation Procedure. After hearing your story I am quite sure I will nix undergoing ablation. Sounds dangerous to me but most importantly IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A PERMANENT CURE.

    Everytime I read someone's personal account as to their ablation experience - there are always problems because it is not a full fledged cure.

    Thank You

    • Greebo64
      Greebo64 Kingjerry42

      Posted

      I am so pleased to be of help, you are quite right the ablation is not a perminant cure, & it is very risky & dangerous & the thing they will not tell you the full extent of the risk factor, i asked all the right questions before the procedure about all the possible complications etc but i was not told by anyone including the consultant that it could possibly be Fatal. 

      Ablation especially the "point to point ablation" [burning

      procedure] its not worth the risk...unless your AF is serious enough that you cant live with it.

      All The Best ! 

  • devin10218
    devin10218 Greebo64

    Posted

    I appreciate your story. I agree about ablations. Mine ruined me.
    • Greebo64
      Greebo64 devin10218

      Posted

      Thanks Devin, We would like to hear of your experience, if you are prepared to share it with us.

      Best wishes

    • devin10218
      devin10218 Greebo64

      Posted

      I totally feel bad for you and cant imagine. My story... two yrs ago i went into tachycardia and after 3 hours called 911. The hospital restarted my heart twice, it didnt go back to a normal beat, waa in ICU for two days trying to get a normal beat with meds it didnt work. The EP came in and said were doing an ablation. I never felt roght. Heart rate still uneasy. I would recommend meds before this procedure. Best of luck to you all.
    • Greebo64
      Greebo64 devin10218

      Posted

      Devin, sorry to hear that things did not go well, but i am not surprised.

      it does sound like you have a serious AF issues, not sure of your age but has you consultant mentioned a pacemaker ? pacemakers are usually for people in the 70 + age group, but it circumstances such as yours age does not matter, a pacemaker will put your heart in to normal rythm, it worth asking your consultant about it.

      Good Luck !

    • Kingjerry42
      Kingjerry42 Greebo64

      Posted

      TKU for your feed about a pacemaker. I am 73 yrs of age. I will discuss this with my Doctor. TKU again.
    • devin10218
      devin10218 Greebo64

      Posted

      Im 44 and havevother health issues Im trying to take care of as well. So I guess thats something else I have to deal with.
  • sammis2u
    sammis2u Greebo64

    Posted

    I have been dealing with AF and SVT for over 10 years and its getting worse this past year. So I would like to kow has anyone considered the 'mini maze' procedure in lieu of an ablation?  Not the full blown Maze, but the 'MINI Maze;.?  Everything I have read on it lately seems to be positive and has a good chance of getting us off of all meds related to AF. (which id likely why we don't hear about it,
    • Greebo64
      Greebo64 sammis2u

      Posted

      I first heard of the Maze procedure on this forum, Non of the cardioogist i have seen over the past 8+ years has ever mentioned it . So i am still ot sure what it is or how it differs from ablation..perhaps someone else reading this could explain & advise
    • jemma33320
      jemma33320 Greebo64

      Posted

      The goal of the Maze procedure is essentially the same as ablation via catheter except the Maze is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon can use small incisions, radio waves, freezing, or microwave or ultrasound energy to create scar tissue. The scar tissue, which does not conduct electrical activity, blocks the abnormal electrical signals causing the arrhythmia. It's done through small cuts in the chest or it may be done while someone is undergoing open heart surgery for other problems.
    • sammis2u
      sammis2u jemma33320

      Posted

      yes Jemma your right, the Mini one however besides being obviously smaller, needing less cuts, but can be done without having to have major surgery with it. Cleveland Clinic, and a few others are offering it and are saying many patients need less if any meds afterwards for AF. That is what excites me. I hope someone on here knows more about this...
    • jemma33320
      jemma33320 sammis2u

      Posted

      My cardiologist have been trying to convince me to have the albation done for years. He's the one that actually does it and he assured me that it's safe with no down time involved. But, as a nurse, I've done some considerable homework on ablation. He does a cryo-ablation which uses cold rather than using radiofrequency heat to create scar tissue. He freezes the active areas on the inside of the heart, The freezing causes scarring and destroys those active areas that triggers an abnormal heart rhythm. Since my a-fib is pretty much under control taking Multaq daily, I am reluctant to proceed with the ablation. My biggest misgivings about ablation is that it happens sometime that too many triggers are destroyed and then there is a need to implant a pacemaker.(read about AV node ablation) If my episodes of a-fib start increasing in frequency requiring emergency hospital visits, then I will most definitely undergo catheter ablation.
    • Greebo64
      Greebo64 jemma33320

      Posted

      Thanks Jemma, so when i had my near fatal ablation last August, the Surgeon that opened my chest to reapir the hole in my heart could have done this Maze then, but he didnt...frown

      As i said previously non of the consultants i have see have even mentioned Maze..i am seeing a arythmia consultant tomorrow, i will be asking why ?

    • sammis2u
      sammis2u jemma33320

      Posted

      What my research has impressed upon me is that during the MINI maze (I have to stress that I am discussing something much less severe than the original Maze procedure) the appendage attached to the node is removed completely and is likely the reason for its great success rate. Why more doctors are not familiar with its option nor promoting the procedure boggles my mind. Except that the drug companies would start to lose big bucks as so many of us could stop some of these energy draining meds!

       

    • Greebo64
      Greebo64 sammis2u

      Posted

      sammis2u

      Regarding your message on the forum [i have copied here] , what exactly does the Bold section below mean question

      Quote "What my research has impressed upon me is that during the MINI maze (I have to stress that I am discussing something much less severe than the original Maze procedure) "The appendage attached to the node is removed completely and is likely the reason for its great success rate" question.  Why more doctors are not familiar with its option nor promoting the procedure boggles my mind. Except that the drug companies would start to lose big bucks as so many of us could stop some of these energy draining meds!"

      i would like to know more about this please

      I have sent Sammis2u a Private message asking this question but had No Reply ,Can any one else elaberate question 

      ThanksG

    • sammis2u
      sammis2u Greebo64

      Posted

      Greebo64 sorry its taken me awhile to respond, we have been dealing with some serious health issues of my husbands...I did send a link about the Wolf mini maze procedure and there are others out there as well, if you google mini maze several will pop up. I know the Cleveland clinic and others have videos to view about it. There is an appendage that each of us has that when that is removed the procedures results are improved greatly, I believe it is attached to one of the nodes in the heart. Hope this helps and gives you some info your looking for
    • derek76
      derek76 sammis2u

      Posted

      You can have a Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is a treatment strategy to reduce the risk of left atrial appendage blood clots from entering the bloodstream and causing a stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. They fit a mesh cage over it to stop any clots that form from getting out. One is called the Watchman procedure and in the UK costs abour £12,000. If they removed the appendage as routine during cardiac surgery it would solve a lot of future problems.
    • sammis2u
      sammis2u derek76

      Posted

      I agree with you derek, my main goal in alleviating the Afib is getting off all the medication, especially the Xarelto for blood thinning, I have already experienced a GI bleed from it and it is quite frightening
    • derek76
      derek76 sammis2u

      Posted

      A neighbour of mine on Warfarin had a GI bleed from unknown polyps when on holiday in Spain. He needed two litres of blood.  
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