Upcoming AF ablation and travel plans
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hello All,
I am a 34 year old female who was diagnosed with AF 12 months ago. My heart rate is in tachycardia 70% of the time - its highly irregular too - and is being treated using Sotalol 120mg twice daily.
Next month I am scheduled for an AF ablation in an Australian public hospital. During my consult appointment I asked the resident doctor some questions but based on my research here it seems he may have given me incorrect answers.
I am curious whether it is reasonable to expect I will be able to travel for six weeks one month after the ablation?
Will I be required to take warfarin? And if so would it be suitable to travel while on warfarin?
What were your experiences like with AF ablation?
Thank you so much! My pharmacist just changed the sotalol brand I was taking and my HR is so high and irregular. I'm feeling drained and frustrated. Sometimes I mistake the AF for anxiety and become more overwhelmed trying to manage the symptoms. I've recently developed migraines too. I currently work full time in a clinical role and feel exhausted. I am hoping I will experience a fast recovery and reduced sympatmology following the ablation.
1 like, 4 replies
Hotrodda melissa34AF
Posted
Hi
I can't see why you shouldn't travel after a few weeks but you may still experience AF for a few months before scar tissue builds up, mine took 4 months.
You will have to stay on warfarin until they are satisfied your clear of AF and then change to asprin
Good luck with the ablation I had mine on 12 Jan this year
deirdre2016 melissa34AF
Posted
rejnertj melissa34AF
Posted
Shouldn't be any problems traveling. I usually get a sick note for two weeks after an ablation due to the heavy nature of my work. I am due my third ablation this autumn ?? it just won't stop. If this one doesn't work I'll be getting a maze procedure done. I'm on 7.5mg of bisoprolol and 5mg elequis for my afib.
simon56380 melissa34AF
Posted
Hi! Melissa, I'm in Australia (Adelaide- but in Singapore right now on holiday)
Had a tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy(severely enlarged left ventricle) and was also in AF back in Dec. 2014.
Got it more or less sorted, but then jumped out of rhythm 3 times in 6 weeks at the beginning of last year, so had an ablation in April last year and have been fine since. But I did have to postpone my 50th birthday trip that I had booked for that time.
I couldn't find any company that was prepared to cover me for travel insurance for at least 12 months after the ablation. After 12 months of having no issues I managed to find some travel insurance (which is why I' m on holiday ATM!).
I think traveling six weeks post ablation would be pretty risky, particularly if you don't have travel insurance (which presumably you won't be able to get?). You don't want to end up in hospital overseas with an enormous medical that could potentially run into tens, or hundreds of thousands of dollars! I think about three to six months post ablation would be reasonable, but still wouldn't do it without travel insurance
Also, success of ablations depend heavily on the skill/ability of the Electrophysiologist doing the burning. I hope you are lucky enough to have got a good one.
Good luck with it all Melissa