Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
I had an ablation two weeks ago. Full anesthesia. The EP told me that he created scars around 4 veins on one side of the heart for the Afib, and a linear scar on the other side for the Aflutter.
During the first 9 days after the procedure I had 4 episodes of Afib/Aflutter that lasted from 5 to 15 minutes, I understand that's to be expected. No episodes since, in the assumption that the symptoms of Afib/Aflutter (steady high heart rate between 100 and 130) are the same before/after the ablation.
My average heart rate went up by 10-15 beats for the first 10 days, and started to slow down afterwards (I had a low rate before the procedure). A pleasant side effect is the disappearance of occasional arrhythmias that have bothered me for many years, starting well before the first episode of Afib/Aflutter.
The EP puts me on Warfarin for 3 months and Multaq for 2 months, although in my previous experience Multaq was worthless. My cardiologist told me that Multaq helps about 40% of the patients.
Summing up I feel better now, although I get more easily out of breath. I don't know whether is lack of exercise or my heart got weaker.
Two questions for other posters who had an ablation:
(1) What drugs were you told to take after the procedure and for how long? I was hoping for less drugs.
(2) What about getting more easily out of breath?
Thanks to all the posters, I learned a lot from this forum.
During the first 9 days after the procedure I had 4 episodes of Afib/Aflutter that lasted from 5 to 15 minutes, I understand that's to be expected. No episodes since, in the assumption that the symptoms of Afib/Aflutter (steady high heart rate between 100 and 130) are the same before/after the ablation.
My average heart rate went up by 10-15 beats for the first 10 days, and started to slow down afterwards (I had a low rate before the procedure). A pleasant side effect is the disappearance of occasional arrhythmias that have bothered me for many years, starting well before the first episode of Afib/Aflutter.
The EP puts me on Warfarin for 3 months and Multaq for 2 months, although in my previous experience Multaq was worthless. My cardiologist told me that Multaq helps about 40% of the patients.
Summing up I feel better now, although I get more easily out of breath. I don't know whether is lack of exercise or my heart got weaker.
Two questions for other posters who had an ablation:
(1) What drugs were you told to take after the procedure and for how long? I was hoping for less drugs.
(2) What about getting more easily out of breath?
Thanks to all the posters, I learned a lot from this forum.
I HOPE for you total successs and Great Health!
RF was used. Thanks for the med info and the suggestion about breath shortness.
Hughesr17,
Thanks for the info, for how long were you put on Warfarin?
Yogacat,
thanks.
I had an ablation at the beginning of Dec 2009. I was told that I would be on a blood thinner for roughly 3 months after the procedure, and nothing else. About three weeks after the ablation, I was taken off the blood thinner and only took baby asprin for the next couple months.
In the first 30 days after the procedure I had brief fib episodes. It has been three years, and I am fully back to running (up to 10 miles) and doing hot yoga without concern or symptoms. Another friend was playing basketball one week after the procedure. We heal differently. However, I do remember that I gave myself permission to start off slow. I did not feel my normal self until at least a month after the procedure, and then I started getting back into my physical activities. Please give yourself permission to heal at its pace.
My heart rate also was higher for several months after the procedure, but has returned to a normal 55bpm.
Take care of yourself!