Has anyone with Atrial Flutter had an ablation that was successful the first time !!!

I'm sure there are people who have had a successful ablation first time. My consultant told me there is a 70% chance of success at each ablation, so after three ablations it's 98% but it is not without risk. In deciding to go for an ablation or not you'll have to weigh up the risks. I have PAF and considering the risks have not yet decided to have an ablation.

Hi, with regard to ablation, my AF., was PAF., I was asmyptomatic, which is the

same as yourself. I had a pulmonary vein ablation on the 24th August 2014 and

have not had any AF., in the last 6 weeks. I have to take Apixaban until I go back

to clinic end of November to have a bubble echochardiogram to make sure the

penetration they made from the right atria to the left atria has healed up. After that

I hopefully will be given the all clear and stop medication. The point I'm making is

That you have nothing to lose amd everything to possibly gain by having an

ablation.

Hi Guys, I had my ablation yesterday. read on if you want to know exactly how it went.

I reported the the Royal Sussex County Hospital at just after 7am and sat in the waiting room along with 4 other people who were waiting for varioud heart treatments. The unit only has 12 beds and 8 of these were being used for A & E admissions. Fortunately one gentleman had come a day early and had to come back today, so there were enough beds for all us otherwise we may have been sent home as often happens.

Shotly after 7.30 am I was called in and taken to my bed where I had to strip completely and put on one of those sexy hospital gowns, unfortunately mine had no back ties LOL.

Wthin a short while 2 nurses came and did my Blood pressure, ECG, put in a canular and did my INR and finally asked the usual, Height, Weight, Meddications, and what warfarin I was taking.

A few minutes later my cardiologist surgeon introduced himself to me, what a charming gentleman, he first asked what do I know about what was going to happen today and my son, before I could speak said everything as he really looked in to it on the internet.  So the Cardiologist asked me to explain exactly what was going to happen and I did, he then asked If I know the risks and again I explained them all to him.

I asked a question, as I had no symptoms at all, If i did not have the Ablation, but continued with either warfarin or another anti cogagalant would I be okay, he said yes, but as an ablation for atril Flutter is generally verry successful and I should have it, so I signed the consent form.

I also said that I don't want a sedative as I have a high pain threshold and have had several ops  and procedures without any. He agreed but said that their was a lot of pain when doing the burning and if while he was doing , if I needed it they would administer it.

Just before 10am I was walked up to the surgicll room where they do the procedure, I layed on a quite narrow table / bed with a tv monitor directly above my head which I found useful as being unable to scratch my nose I lifted my head up a couple of inches and rubed it against the monitor.

You cannot move your arms which are by your sides and of course you are wired up all over the place. My surgeon explained all along the way what he was going to do. There was also 2 radiographers in the room with a screen between them and me and also a nurse ready to give me a pain injection or any othe drug if required,

So off we go a pain killer spray ? was put on my groin which was previousy shaved as I am a hairy bugger, then shortly afterwards a tube was inserted in my groin which was a little uncomfortable but not to bad and the the catheter was insertd in the tube and pushed into my heart, I really did not feel this, I then had 3 lot's of burning all at 60 watts, the first one was fine and quite bearable for me, the second one was on a scale up to 10 was 11, thankfully it only lasted for a short while as I was very close to saying give me a pain killer.

I was told straight away that my heart was back in sinus rhythm, we then waited another 10 minutes to check that it stayed their which it did, the whole procedure took just over 1 hour.

For Information Only - An ablation for Atrial Fib takes 4 hours and in our hospital in Brighton, they give you a general anaesthetic because it is impossible to stay perfectly still for all that time.

Next - i was wheeled back to my bed where I had to lay still flat for one hour, during this time I was wired up to a monitor taking Blood pressure, pulse rate and an ECG, they also check yout feet and legs for Deep Vein Thrombosis, after an hour I was allowed to sit up and had tea and biscuts and then a very nice packed lunch.

As all was well and I did not have a bleed I was given an instruction and information sheet of what to do if you do have a bleed or anything else and allowed home at 2.45pm, so in total I was there 7 1/4 hours.

I can only praise the treatment that I received from the person who got my lunch to the cardiologist, nothing was to much.

Finally I was very doubtfull about having the procedure, but can thoroughly reccomend it to anyone with Atrial Flutter, but would suggest that most people have a sedation, my theory No pain No gain.

Regards Ken.

Glad your ablation went well and hope your atrial flutter is a thing of the past. Please keep us posted on the long term outcome. 

Hi Marco, I will keep you all posted.

When I came home yesterday, I just laid on our couch  untill I went to bed, I slept well as I usually do with no after effects from procedure.

To be honest I feel no different from before which is I think good, tomorrow I am at my local Boot's to have INR checked, all good so far.

Regards Ken.

Same with my husband....no symptoms; picked up at annual physical. He had a successful ablation the first time, and flutter is gone.  He's a fit almost 73 year old.

Good luck. Joyce

Hi Joyce,

Glad to hear about your husband, sounds like a verty similiar case to mine. Well 6 days after Ablation, I have had no after effects and feel fine, my grion is black and blue, but this is normal and can go down as far as the knee.

As I understand about 30% get AF with no symptoms at all and so may be unlucky and not find out until it is to late. I think we should all have an mot at some stage in our lives, which would no doubt possibly throw up some thing at an early and treatable stage as opposed to finding out to late.

Well, I'm happy you're doing well.  The interesting thing is that I went on this site because I experienced my first horrible AF yesterday, at the gym, where I'm normally a very strong athlete. I do the elliptical machine every other day, very fast for 35 minutes.  Yesterday, I struggled terribly, and was out of breath after 15 minutes, with my heart beating out of my chest. The machine said the heart rate was 185.  Anyway, my husband immediately knew it was AF. It remained beating fast until I went to bed.  I'm terrified. Will be traveling the next couple of weeks so won't be able to see a doctor for all the tests. It's wonderful that you didn't have the symptons because they are truly awful.  Take care. 

Hi guys.

Well it's just 8 weeks since my ablation and so far all is well, I have been twice to my GP and my pulse is in sync.

On friday I went for my hoospital checkup with a practice nurse, had blood pressure taken 140/90 ECG which was fine.

I was told because of my age 75 and because I have Hypertension to stay on Warfarin for the next 6 months and my next checkup, I am taking alternate nights 2 / 2 1/2 mg and my INR is 2.5 / 2.6, so next blood test in 6 weeks time.

The nurse asked me if I felt any change since the ablation, I said no symptoms before and none after.

Good luck everone and have a healthy and happy Christmas and New Year.

Ken.