Should I consider ablation?

@danah Thanks for sharing your story. I don't have the same problem you did but 9 ablations seems like a bit much. I know there are some EPs out there who have no problem with doing one after another and disagreement about how many is too much. I really don't think doctors can predict any outcomes, they can only hope for the best. I have been told that I have multiple circuits and another ablation will not help much. It is all subjective of course. The resident EP who did my cardioversion thought a 6 month frequency was too much! I am on the other hand quite happy that it has kept me in sinus for 6 months and will be thrilled to get another 6 before having to make a decision about what to do next since the choices aren't great. My current EP is not too keen on another ablation but then again he did not perform the two that I've had since he was not available. In my case ablations are not a permanent fix, just to buy me some time so if it gets be another couple of years it would be great. I might just stop at 3 though. I can always get another opinion and if necessary will seek one at Mayo. Mary

I am a female, 89 yrs. old in good health except have experienced tachycardia since 37 yrs. old. Now have Afib and have had medications from digitalis to now Metoprolol succinate 50mg. and having horrible time breathing, so have cut dose in half & calling doctor. I have decided to have an AV ( July1, 2019) depending solely on the pacemaker. I am so tired of all the meds and nothing is working especially the Metoprolol. This medicine has not given me quality of life. I hope that the AV will give me back some quality. Anyone have a similar condition?

Hi:
If you are in great shape then I would definitely go and have it done. I am like you, I wouldn’t want to take all that medications. Take care

Dear Redhead63, Thanks. I dislike all medications and try to avoid them. magsmar

hello magsmar, the reason, why the cardiologist gave you digitoxin, was , that the betablocker metoprolol alone didn't reduce the atrium fibrillation enough.. digitoxin inhibits the transport of the electric pulses through the AV-node, apart from other effects. especially for older people, like you, who might have a heart failure. you wrote that you are suffering from difficulties with breathing. this is maybe a symptom of heart failure. digitoxin needs time, the half-time is 6-7 days.

My situation is a bit different, 15 months ago I had AV Block -third degree. therefore I needed a pacemaker. the rate of the A-Fib's increased constantly. My heart deteriorated, most probably due to the influence of the fibrillations on the the right chamber (ventricel).
my cardiologist added digitoxin to the betablocker - bisoprolol. I was very "impressed", after 10 days no heart failure symptoms anymore. I'am 73 years old. a control echo of the heart confirmed. I was surprised to read, that digitoxin is also used in the US. it is very old (1885 painted Vincent v. Gogh his French doctor with a branch of digitalis purpurea) , it seems there is a renaissance. I'm very glad that it worked so well.

After emergency check in, 6/10/19, full of fluid, hardly able to breathe (dumb me), I had the AV ablation, June 11. Having some physical adjustments in recovery. My pacemaker is set for 82 and doctor will lower to 72 in a week then to 62 a week after that. Have a dry cough, PVCs once in awhile, lower back ache (left kidney area), taking lasix and potassium, no beta blockers, taking Xarelto & supplements. Checkiing with PCP Monday. Praying that all (evens out)!

@lalton You pose an interesting question about how long a patient should proceed with one type of therapy for a problem before considering other methods (especially when the current plan is not producing the improvements hoped for) . Have you discussed ablation with your cardiologist or sought a second opinion? Thanks for posing this question.

Welcome to Connect, @lalton. As Teresa said, you pose a very good question "When should a person consider medication and/or ablation since afib is probably causing heart damage?"
I'd like to introduce you to other members who have talked about a-fib and ablations here in the community, and who may be able to shed light on this question given their experiences. Please meet @martishka @twptrustrek @jhoffmanj @irishblueileen @billmichalski @success101 and @nadine66 in addition to Teresa who you've already met.

You may also wish to review the conversations in these discussion threads in the Heart group.
- AFib questions http://mayocl.in/29iD8aJ
- Should I consider ablation? http://mayocl.in/28ReaNr

I am an 82 year old male in good health and condition and have been having afib for about one year and 19 occurances The most recent month I have had 4 occurrences and the last one lasted 17.5 hours. I have been hoping to figure out what is causing it; too many supplements, stress, sleep, diet, etc., but am not having any luck so far. I have heard that a new trend is to use ablation instead of medication. When should I consider medication and/or ablation since afib is probably causing heart damage?

I'm 67 and was diagnosed with AFib 5 years ago after I received a stent for a blockage. It started when I experienced some fluttering, was put on meds and that has managed the Afib very well. Had a check up 6 months ago no problem, had an exam one Monday with ECG my heart was in Afib, I had no idea I felt great. My cardiologist ordered blood thinners, maintained my normal meds and then suggested Ablation. Seemed like a real jump to me but I let him refer me to the University of Missouri Medical Center. I've never had any major issues even though my heart very infrequently has gone into Afib (haven't experienced any fluttering since I've been on meds) and I'm very active. I'm a little concerned regarding the risks and success rates of Ablation. I'm also concerned about the cost, I'm retired on Medicare + supplement and I'm really leaning towards just maintaining through medication. Looking for everyones thoughts.