Good luck and a speedy recoverery

R2D2

I had general anesthesia and did not have nausea following the procedure. I also had terrible back pain from lying on the hard gurney for six hours. I don't know which torture was worse, the back pain or the itching from being allergic to adhesives. If I were to do it again, I would insist that they provide some sort of relief from the back pain like a small pillow under the knees or a support for the back. I recommend having this chat before the procedure.

I was pretty out of it after the procedure and kept drifting off until the back pain and the itching became intolerable. I think the I-pod idea is a good one. However, I was in the ICU during this time and don't know how I could have accessed anything like that because they would not have let me take it into the OR.

Good Luck!!

Jody

Excellent suggestion, twinsisters!! Something to lull you back to sleep .to pass the time.

I don't understand, are you back in your room for 6 hrs? Or are you on a hard gurney for the 6 hrs in recovery room?

This back pain complaint should be addressed you would think.

By the way, I, too, had the intense itching from the heart pads when I was loaded with Tikosyn. When I took the pads off after 4 days, the skin was beet red. I was told this is very common. One person told me to ask for the pediatric pads the next time and they won't cause the same allergic reaction. It was horribly itchy. I know exactly what you mean, Jody. This was my 4th hospital stay and this never happened before. I was told the first 3 times I got sensitized to the adhesive they use and then I reacted the 4th time.

I was on the gurney or something like it for six hours...not a bed. It was a rather hard surface, no detectable mattress or thick padding. I am pretty sure it was a gurney. Maybe they didn't want me to bleed on their bed in the ICU.

Jody

For me it was later in the day, around 4 when I wokeup, The RNs just let me relax while they cleaned up the OR; they said I seemed fine and didn't really need to go to a recovery room, they would just watch me and take me up to the hospital room. Which was fine with me.

I had general anesthesia for both ablations. I have a history of nausea/vomiting from anesthesia. They gave me medication in my IV preventatively for nausea. I didn't get nauseated until the next day, when I was at home. After the second ablation, I had no problems with the nausea. I also have a history of back problems. The 6 hour countdown started in recovery on a gurney and then ended in the hospital bed in my room. My back was very sore for 4 or 5 days after the first and only mildly so after the second for just a day or so. The second ablation was an all around better experience for me. The ipod sounds like a great idea. I never thought of it.

My only real pain issue after ablation was a pinched nerve in my back that occurred while they manipulated me around during the procedure. Otherwise, I had and still do have to a lesser and lesser degree "skipped beats" which at least so far are more an anxiety issue than anything else. Other than that, my recovery period , three months was uneventfull. I actually started running again after about a month or six weeks until the EP advised waiting the full 3 months....so I race walked instead;-) . I am now 20 months past the procedure with primary problem being anxiety....because its so nice being AFIB free that you dread a relapse but that anxiety decreases as each month passes. I was in good physical shape for my age ..as I was a runner ((old fart type)now 69 years..so I think that was a factor in the ease of recovery.

And.....before I forget it thanks to all who share on this site their experiences. It was very helpful to me in navigating through the issues that came up before and after ablation. Good luck to all and happy holidays. Jweber

Thanks for the additional info, everyone! It seems to depend on the hospital's procedure as to where you spend your 6 hours flat on your back. I was hoping it would be in a hospital bed, but it seems probably not. I just wish there was a way to be preventative about the back pain from the long time lying still on your back.

RN52,
YOu said the second time was easier for the back recovery. Do you attribute that to the cryo vs the RF? I don't know how that would affect it , but it seems the posts lead me to believe that cryo recovery is easier than RF.

Jweber,
It's a 3 month recovery? I thought they tell you not to lift heavy things, don't drive, etc for only 2 weeks. Now i'm reading that some of you have had a long recovery, 2-3 mos to feel back to normal. I wasn't expecting that at all.

I'm not in good shape and haven't been able to exercise since this AF started. So , I don't have the advantages that Jweber had.

RN52,
I, too, get nauseated after anesthesia. I was worried if I would become nauseated during that time you have to lie still for 6 hours, what can you do?

I am not allowed the usual Zofran for nausea since it interacts with the Tikosyn I'm on.

heart2222:
I do not attribute less back pain to the cryo. The nurse wouldn't let me get out of bed until the next morning,after thr first ablation. I was up and walking 6 hours after the second ablation and that is where the difference is. If you become nauseated, they have many other meds that they can use. Laying flat for 6 hours although difficult, is necessary as you know to prevent bleeding. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

RN52,
Now that makes a lot more sense!! I thought they do let you walk around after the 6 hrs on your back. To make you lie on your back until the next day would be horrible!

Did you sleep a lot of the 6 hours? Or you were totally awake?

There's so much of this ablation process which is worrisome.

Merry Christmas to you too!

I did not stay overnight. I was at the hospital about 6 am and my procedure was started around 8. I woke up back in my bed in the day surgery room.

I am very sensitive to tape and adhesive and mentioned it to the nurses. Before being brought back into the room they removed any tape and adhesive they could and put some cortisone cream on my skin.

I was flat in the bed until about 7 pm - then they started raising the head of the bed up a little at a time. When I was almost sitting up they brought me a snack. They won't give you food when you are laying down - you may choke on it. I wasn't that hungry anyway.

I had the option to be a day patient since I do not have any other medical issues.

Hope all this information helps you.

twinsisters,
I'm glad you got to lie in a bed rather than on a gurney. I would think that is much more comfortable. It's good they gradually raised your head.

I get a really bad reaction to those heart pads and I used a strong cortisone ointment the last time after the Tikosyn load. It took a good week for the red patches to fade.

It's nice the nurses did things to lessen your reaction.

How did you feel going straight home that same day as the ablation?

heart 2222
The first time, I couldn't sleep much at all. I was on amioderone and it caused insomnia for me. I was also in the room with an elderly lady that had dementia and yelled all night. I even had an ambien and got very little sleep. I couldn't wait to get home. The second time, I did doze off and on for the 6 hours. I was also in a private room, away from the nurse's station and got a good night's sleep as well. As I said, the second time was just a whole better experience all the way around!

heart2222 - There is no way to get around the 6 - 7 hrs flat on your back, but I was extremely glad that I was a candidate for day surgery and not staying overnight. It was a loooooooong day, but in the evening I was glad to be in my own home and bed.

I didn't get home till around 8:30 - had a small cup of soup and went right to bed.

I am not sure option of day surgery is available to everyone, it depends on your insurance, your health, the ep's preference, etc. but for me it worked.