Re; Ablation while in A-fib

[Guest guest]

Hi, I have at last seen my EP who is going to convert me tomorrow after 4

weeks in A-fib

following my PVI procedure. It has been a nightmare trying to get it

sorted, thankfully at last I have, well almost! He was surprised that I had

gone

back into AF after the ablation. He said that 40 - 50% of people do and that

sometimes once they get converted it goes on to be successful. He felt in my

case he may need to do some more work and suggested that if I go back into

AF following the cardioversion he would do another ablation while I am in AF.

Has anyone heard of this or had it done? Would appreciate any information

you can offer.

Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi

I just had the catheter ablation explained to me in detail this week, the

doctor even drew pictures. He said that in many cases they need to go back in

and do a second ablation because some of the fibers survive. He said that the

2nd ablation is usually very quick. Hope this helps.

STahaney@... wrote:

Hi, I have at last seen my EP who is going to convert me tomorrow after 4

weeks in A-fib

following my PVI procedure. It has been a nightmare trying to get it

sorted, thankfully at last I have, well almost! He was surprised that I had

gone

back into AF after the ablation. He said that 40 - 50% of people do and that

sometimes once they get converted it goes on to be successful. He felt in my

case he may need to do some more work and suggested that if I go back into

AF following the cardioversion he would do another ablation while I am in AF.

Has anyone heard of this or had it done? Would appreciate any information

you can offer.

Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi

I just had the catheter ablation explained to me in detail this week, the

doctor even drew pictures. He said that in many cases they need to go back in

and do a second ablation because some of the fibers survive. He said that the

2nd ablation is usually very quick. Hope this helps.

STahaney@... wrote:

Hi, I have at last seen my EP who is going to convert me tomorrow after 4

weeks in A-fib

following my PVI procedure. It has been a nightmare trying to get it

sorted, thankfully at last I have, well almost! He was surprised that I had

gone

back into AF after the ablation. He said that 40 - 50% of people do and that

sometimes once they get converted it goes on to be successful. He felt in my

case he may need to do some more work and suggested that if I go back into

AF following the cardioversion he would do another ablation while I am in AF.

Has anyone heard of this or had it done? Would appreciate any information

you can offer.

Pat

[Guest guest]

My second ablation was done while in afib. It wasn't planned that way,

but at 3 A.M. on the morning that I was scheduled to go in, I started

up. It was a fairly substantial episode, so they had a chance to see me

in full flight.

My fib is somewhat resistant to everything: meds, cardioversion (usual

length of time in NSR afterwards is a couple of days), and ablation.

The first ablation cut my frequency considerably, but even so, it was an

unacceptable every ten days or so. The second (the one done while I'd

kicked into afib) was utterly successful for 91 days, and then a series

of events started -- much less frequently, but still unacceptable. It

looks like those events are _primarily_ flutter. I'm in line for a

third one in the near future. As the EP says, " Now we have the beast

captured. We just have to kill it. "

Bill Manson

" The question isn't " Where are you going? " The question is " Why are you here in

the first place? " -- Art Buchwald

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Bill,

I suppose it makes sense to do the ablation while in AF so they can see

where it is coming from. Not many of them seem to want to do this, which makes

me a bit skeptical, hopefully the cardioversion will work and I won't need

another one. Except I have a funny feeling that I will. I feel like I have a

flutter, but the Ep seems to think it is AF even though it appears like a

flutter on the ECG. Anyway, I suppose I will have to be patient and wait and

see. Like you the medicines do not seem to work that well, the last

cardioversion I had didn't last. I suppose if they cannot get it right by

ablation I

will end up with a pacemaker. I must try and be positive otherwise it makes

it even harder to bear.

Thanks for the post. Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat

Why do you think you would end up with a pacemaker?

ine

Re: Re; Ablation while in A-fib

Hi Bill,

I suppose it makes sense to do the ablation while in AF so they can see

where it is coming from. Not many of them seem to want to do this,

which makes

me a bit skeptical, hopefully the cardioversion will work and I won't

need

another one. Except I have a funny feeling that I will. I feel like

I have a

flutter, but the Ep seems to think it is AF even though it appears like

a

flutter on the ECG. Anyway, I suppose I will have to be patient and

wait and

see. Like you the medicines do not seem to work that well, the last

cardioversion I had didn't last. I suppose if they cannot get it right

by ablation I

will end up with a pacemaker. I must try and be positive otherwise it

makes

it even harder to bear.

Thanks for the post. Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi ine,

It was just that when I asked my EP what the worst case scenario would be if

he could not get this arrythmia right by ablation or meds, he said he would

have to ablate the AV node and that would mean a pacemaker. I hope it does

not come to that, I suppose I am just being a bit negative at the moment. It

is just that so far it has not been straight forward, no wonder they call it

the beast, it just keeps rearing its ugly head. Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat

I just wonder if that was what you meant, I agree with your sentiments

as I would want to avoid an AV node ablation. I do have a pacemaker for

bradycardia. My afib is currently running at 85% and the rate is not

controlled so my GP is trying to get me seen more quickly by the EP,

just hope he does not suggest AV node ablation as I would like to try

other forms of ablation or Maze procedure. At 85% I would be happy even

if the ablation gave me some kind of relief. I cannot have a

cardioversion as I can still convert to sinus rhythm 15% of the time.

ine

Re: Re; Ablation while in A-fib

Hi ine,

It was just that when I asked my EP what the worst case scenario would

be if

he could not get this arrythmia right by ablation or meds, he said he

would

have to ablate the AV node and that would mean a pacemaker. I hope it

does

not come to that, I suppose I am just being a bit negative at the

moment. It

is just that so far it has not been straight forward, no wonder they

call it

the beast, it just keeps rearing its ugly head. Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat

You are the one meant to be encouraging me!

You told me " As I said my PVI was only 5 weeks ago and I have had a

few problems with a-fib since. I am told this is to be expected and

not to judge for 10-12 weeks " .

So to my mind, and it's easy for me to say, try to remain calm and let

the EP in whom you have trust and confidence, do his job. He should

also do your worrying for you.

Worry and stress are major triggers for me, don't let your worries

become " self fulfilling prophesies "

No EP wants to up his failure rate, it's bad for business.

I'm thinking about you, and hoping you get " sorted " as I intend to

talk to my cardiologist about you on Monday week!

Best wishes from North Antrim - Wstephenp

Not many of them seem to want to do this, which makes me a bit

skeptical, hopefully the cardioversion will work and I won't need

another one. Except I have a funny feeling that I will. I feel like

I have a flutter, but the Ep seems to think it is AF even though it

appears like a flutter on the ECG. Anyway, I suppose I will have to

be patient and wait and see. I suppose if they cannot get it right

by ablation I will end up with a pacemaker. I must try and be

positive otherwise it makes it even harder to bear.

> Thanks for the post. Pat

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ine,

I am feeling a bit more positive again after my cardioversion yesterday. It

is only when I get down and anxious that I start thinking about a pacemaker

as maybe a solution to all this.

Like you I would try everything first. Do you know if they do the mini-maze

procedure in the UK as the success rate sounds higher than for ablation. Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi Pat

I don't know but hopefully I will find out when I get to see the EP at

Harefield. I think that the maze procedure has a better success rate

but I would like to try the PVI ablation first. I know that I would not

go for the AV node ablation until I have exhausted other possibilities

or reach the stage that my quality of life have deteriorated to the

stage where the afib has become into intolerable. Because medical

science as far as ablation is concerned is advancing rapidly it may be

worth waiting and see what happens.

Mg GP is trying to get me see quicker as my afib has deteriorated a lot

in the last year from 42% last may to 85% now. I only have sinus rhythm

15% of the time, so a PVI must improve things.

Hopefully I will be better informed when I have been seen. Good luck I

am sorry I can't be more helpful.

ine

Re: Re; Ablation while in A-fib

Hi ine,

I am feeling a bit more positive again after my cardioversion

yesterday. It

is only when I get down and anxious that I start thinking about a

pacemaker

as maybe a solution to all this.

Like you I would try everything first. Do you know if they do the

mini-maze

procedure in the UK as the success rate sounds higher than for

ablation. Pat

[Guest guest]

Update, I received an appointment today to see Dr Vias Markides on 5

July

Re: Re; Ablation while in A-fib

Hi ine,

I am feeling a bit more positive again after my cardioversion

yesterday. It

is only when I get down and anxious that I start thinking about a

pacemaker

as maybe a solution to all this.

Like you I would try everything first. Do you know if they do the

mini-maze

procedure in the UK as the success rate sounds higher than for

ablation. Pat

[Guest guest]

ine,

Good luck with your appointment in July. If I see my EP in the meantime I

will ask him about the mini maze procedure. I am still in NSR following my

cardioversion. Thank goodness.

Long may it last! Pat

[Guest guest]

ine, Nice news.

ine pj.gilmartin@...> wrote: Update, I received an appointment

today to see Dr Vias Markides on 5

July