Ablation for Atrial Fibrilation

@rbm
You are going to get a lot of post stating worked did not work, etc. It is why each individual is an individual and no one reacts to treatments the exact way someone else does. What works for one my not work for another and you will see this not only with Ablation but medications as well.

It is why you need to decide on what is best for you. If you trust your EP then listen to him/her and if you feel the same after discussion of complications and benefits then make your own decision.

I had ablation done several years ago on RV. It worked immediately and has not returned. What has returned is LV PACs. I was asked to add magnesium and that post created widely different views on which type is best. So back I went to my EP (Mayo Clinic Jacksonville Director of Electrophysiology) on which type. He said research is all over the place on which type is best and to try using Magnesium Citrate. I did and had improvement.

Bottom line, do research, asked questions and do what you feel is best and remember what works for another my not be best for you based on your specific medical conditions, health, quality of life, and degree the PACs or PVCs affect your quality of life.

I'm 81, and had an ablation at 79 for Tachycardia and occasional AFIB. No hesitation from the EP to do it.
It turns out the ablation was unsuccessful, Now, thanks to metoprolol (25mg/day) + baby aspirin , vagal procedure (as needed), active lifestyle, and Tai Chi, I seem to have it under control. Good luck to you.

I’m also 71. Like many point out here, it’s not uncommon to need more than one procedure before the AFIB is resolved completely. I ended up having two, about a year apart.
As to the procedure itself, the worst part for me was just spending the good part of a full day in the hospital. I really had no discomfort during or after the procedure except for being pretty tired the following day and having some big bruises at the insertion site for the catheter.
I’m a real wuss when it comes to any kind of medical issues, but it really wouldn’t bother me if I found out that I needed another one.

Super helpful. Thank you!

I had two ablations one in 2009 only lasted eight months. Put me on meds that kept me in sinus rhythm and another one in 2017 which only lasted eight months. Cardioverted me at that point and put me on flecainide which has worked for the last 7 years. Just had another episode of almost passing out and went back into A-fib. Flecainide has stopped working for me. They had to cardiovert me again and it only lasted one day. Now on amiodarone and see the heart doctor in two day's and will probably be another ablation. 0ne of the people commented everyone is different. I've heard of people only having it done once and that cured them and also heard of people that have had in done numerous times. Best of luck to you.

There are strategies that work for some people besides cardioversion (I know two who have been CV'd over 40 times!!) or drugs. These people find out what their triggers are and avoid them. They also lose weight if they could stand to shed a few pounds, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and some find that limiting calcium intake works well. Others take L-Taurine and Magnesium. I know that high levels of potassium is not good for one's kidneys over time, but the first time I ended up in the ER for post-ablation arrythmia, they fed me two large horse pills of potassium once they had my blood assay results. I eat lots of foods rich in potassium most days, so I ought not to have been light on that element. Their numbers said I was indeed light, so now I eat pistachios, potatoes most days, drink coconut water, grow beets each summer, and I have at least 1/4 cup of peanut butter on w/w bread for breakfast. You'd think I would be good, but.....apparently I dump potassium.

Don't forget those statistics about ablations though: index ablations fail at the rate of about 25% across all surgeons. The ratio improves for second ablations meant to correct what was missed the first time. And almost all other forumites across various fora I attend where AF is discussed end up needing other measures in time, including subsequent ablations, because the disorder progresses. If the index caught it properly, and just a PVI was done, the heart looks for other re-entrant foci over the next months and years, and then the arrhythmia returns. The re-entrants are typically out from the pulmonary vein ostia where the antrum is. Or the Vein of Marshall, or the superior vena cava, or the coronary sinus, or it moves to the atrial appendage. It can take place near the SA node in a loop.

The good news is that, if one anti-arrhythmic drug fails to control it, whether from being the wrong drug or from the heart overcoming its effects in time (losing its potency), there are others. I have been on amiodarone. There are worse things, but some would argue with me. It's a harsh drug, and must be closely monitored. But it got my heart under control, and looking back, I am grateful for that three month interlude. And, there is usually room for one more ablation if the numbers total six or seven and less. After larger counts, the EP might suggest a pacemaker.

Thanks for sharing your journey. Good luck to YOU as well!

how much magnesium do you take each day?

I take 1000 mg of Magnesium Glycinate a day.

@etawon2024
Per my EP they suggested 400 mg of Magnesium citrate. I asked about the other forms of Magnesium and was told the citrate is what they recommended.