Ablation full meal deal?

[Guest guest]

Germaine wrote:

> Now for my questions - Do you think that the only real cure for

> Atrial Fib. is " the full meal deal " of ablating all the pulmonary

> ostia? Do you think there is still a place for only ablating a site

> in the left atrium either in or near one of the pulmonary openings?

> If I were to have this type of ablation done, what is the liklihood

> that another site in the left atrium would pick up and cause its owm

> irregularity?

Here's an answer based on intuition rather than fact.

It seems to me that the highest risk/discomfort/inconvenience (not to mention

mental trauma) comes with the invasive nature of an ablation. From my

perspective, I'd rather have the EP go after (or at least test) every possible

site of the little beggars that are causing the misfire. A slightly

over-ablated atriun seems to me to be preferable to going back in for a touch

up. (In fact, I wonder if the number of touch ups that happen with this

procedure are a result of EPs trying to minimize the invasiveness of the

procedure and then ending up having to actually be more invasive.)

[Guest guest]

> Now for my questions - Do you think that the only real cure for

> Atrial Fib. is " the full meal deal " of ablating all the pulmonary

> ostia?

I think calling (any) ablation a " cure " for afib is jumping the gun

a bit. I know some are touting very high success rates, but there

are no long(ish)term studies that can support the idea that ablation

is a cure or that there may be other complications from all that

burning (or freezing) and scarring. I also wouldn't consider

longterm post-ablation *with* medication a success.

I'm saying this as someone who will most likely need an ablation at

some point in the future. I'd like to hold out as long as possible.

It does seem that more refinements and more insight into the nature

of afib are occuring.

To ablate or not to ablate, that is the question...to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to;