Ablation

I had an afib ablation and six days later back in afib. Anyone have this problem

3 Comments

A-Fib

by Roys - 2014-06-20 02:06:37

Hi
Yes I had an PVI (ablation) and was in A-fib that night, but my AF was less frequent after the procedure. Some people require as many as 5 ablations to be cured.
Cheers Roy

PVI

by golden_snitch - 2014-06-20 03:06:03

Hi!

This is perfectly normal. You can have episodes of Afib up to 6 months after the PVI, before an EP would say that the ablation wasn't successful. That's why many patients who had a PVI done still need to take blood thinners for several months afterwards. EPs know that might take a while for the PVI to work. You have to imagine that they create rings of scar tissue around the pulmonary veins, and as long as that scarring process isn't completed, there are sometimes spots in these rings where Afib impulses still get through. Once this process, which can take several weeks or months, is completed one will be able to determine how successful the ablation was.

Success with regards to a PVI is measured a bit differently, it's not only a success when the Afib is completely gone. In some patients, like Roy, the episodes become less frequent or don't last as long as they did before. In others a drug, that wasn't effective before the PVI, now controls it well.

Last but not least, as Roy also said, many patients require several PVIs before they see an improvement. PVIs often do not cure with the first attempt, but only after two or three procedures. The PVI success rate after just one procedure is around 50%-60%, I think, but after two or three procedures you get to around 80% success rate. You should have been informed about this before the procedure.

So, don't give up hope, yet, but give it a couple of weeks or months. Keep in mind that it takes time for the newly created scars to fully 'develop' and block the Afib impulses.

Best wishes
Inga

ONE WEEK AFTER ABLATION

by MARTHA92243 - 2014-06-22 05:06:38

Yes, that is normal for you to have Afib like you are experiencing...I had the same thing...I had a second ablation 15 mos later but do not feel that this will happen to you..for many people, ablation is cured after the first ablation. Hang in there; it will get better!

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