has anyone had 3 ablation procedures?

[Guest guest]

Today the recommendation was to to a 3rd ablation. The cardiologist

thought the two drugs that we had not tried amariadone and .....? had

too many risks involved and he also said that a class for the do...was

necessary and its not more effective than being cardioverted. I just

don't know what to do, the first two just made a-fib worse and brought

on a-flutter, which is almost constant at this point.

[Guest guest]

" theveenstras4 " <theveenstras4@y...> wrote:

Today the recommendation was to to a 3rd ablation.(snip) the first two just made

a-fib

worse and brought

> on a-flutter, which is almost constant at this point.

First of all I'm sorry your husband is having such a difficult time. He's only

two weeks out

of his second ablation though, so don't give up hope yet, and don't feel

pressured into

making a decision right away. It can take many weeks to settle down after an

ablation.

For the third procedure is your cardiologist recommending a full PVA for afib or

a flutter

ablation? I had my first ablation last September, after which I too developed

flutter. I had a

flutter ablation this March and then another PVA for afib on April 20. I have

been in

constant flutter again since then, with many short episodes of afib all day. So

I've had

three ablations, but no success yet. My EP made me wait six months between the

big

ablations to make sure I was really in persistent flutter and not still

recovering from the

first procedure.

The flutter ablation was a piece of cake compared to the others. 1.5 hours

versus 4.5,

entry through groin only, much faster recovery. I actually went into sinus! on

my own the

day before the April ablation, but I will never know how long that might have

lasted. (The

EP study during the flutter ablation indicated I still had focii firing from the

left atrium that

needed to be zapped, so I went ahead with it.)

If flutter is the issue now, ask your cardio about suitability for a flutter

ablation, and

intervals between ablations. It took me much longer than two weeks after each

ablation

before I went into sinus. I could be totally wrong and misguidedly hopeful but I

don't get

as depressed when I choose to believe that healing time for some people could

even be as

much as a year. So I'm still holding out hope that there will be sinus in my

future.

Good luck with trying to make a decision and I hope your husband feels a little

better each

day.

Helena, 43

afib since 2001

rhythmol, coumadin, metoprolol, ramipril, aspirin

[Guest guest]

> Today the recommendation was to to a 3rd ablation. The cardiologist

> thought the two drugs that we had not tried amariadone and .....?

had

> too many risks involved and he also said that a class for the

do...was

> necessary and its not more effective than being cardioverted. I just

> don't know what to do, the first two just made a-fib worse and

brought

> on a-flutter, which is almost constant at this point.

_____________________

I agree with both Lil and Helena. Helena, in that 2 weeks is too short

a time to know whether the procedure worked. Lil, in that after two

ablations with that one doctor have not helped at all, and have made

your husband subjectively worse, I think you should seek another

opinion. I know that you and your husband must be very tired and

discouraged and the very last thing you would want to do is start over

with another doctor. And that the whole idea of traveling to see

another EP is daunting, to say the least. I had an ablation by Dr.

Natale in February. I would highly recommend him. He sees a lot of

people like your husband, who have had ablations at other centers.

If I were you, and if your insurance covers Dr. Natale, I would call

the Cleveland Clinic and talk to the nurses in the Center for Atrial

Fibrillation there. Describe your problem to them, they will take it

from there. The Cleveland Clinic even has a medical concierge desk,

which will help you with travel arrangements and accomodations in

Cleveland.

Please don't give up or feel pressured. It never hurts to get a second

opinion. Sometimes I think we are tempted to stay with the doctors we

are most familiar with. I know that is how I felt in the beginning of

my afib. If you are closer to another center that specializes in

treatment of afib, by all means go there also. But your husband, at

this point, in my humble opinion, needs to have an evaluation by the

best EP you have access to, before he undergoes a third ablation or

goes on amiodarone.

I hope this helps.