Cardiac Ablation

There are videos on YouTube that describe this in good detail.
Basically:
Get to the cath lab ward hallway by about 0645. Take a seat, wait for the nurse to call his name. Hug and kiss to the person who will pick you up in six-eight hours, and you are taken to your bed cubicle. Undress, fully, put on Johnny gown, nurse will insert the IV.

Anesthesiologist comes by, chats you up, asks you your weight, any allergies, previous/recent surgery, anyone coming to get you afterwards, etc.

Electrophysiologist may pop in, but they'r eextremely busy that day...it being one of two/three days they have to operate at the hospital...if they don't use their own facilities.

Nurse asks you about your anti-clotting protocol, if you followed the pre-op directions you were mailed. You might be given an pill to help the process. I was, but only during my angiogram, not before either of my two ablation. ??

An hour, maybe three later, you get wheeled in to a chilly room, you lie on the operating table, you see people hear voices, and my EP came up and asked me my name, where I was, what am I presenting for, and who was going to do the procedure. He replied 'Perfect' each time. after a couple of minutes, the anesthesiologists places the mask over your mouth and nose and asks you to breath deeply.

You awaken back in your cubicle, and you feel....nothing. Hopefully not an extremely dry throat as I had for my angiogram. They use a dessicant for the TEE while they move the catheter around, and I got too much of it. Fixed for the two ablations. Speak up when they come by and tell you of the results. If you have to repeat the procedure (it happens in about 25% of ablations that they don't fully close all gaps, and you'll have to have a second ablation in a few months...don't worry, it really does happen), make sure to tell them about what really bothered you the most when you came to after the procedure last time. They do want to know these things 'cuz they don't want to hurt you.

You'll have either a compression bandage, really tight, or a heavy weighted bag, over the groin incision, and you'll be warned not to move. Not even lift your head to chat! This is for at least three hours.

They'll bring you food, and you won't be discharged to your driver until you can eat, drink, keep it down, AND walk around the ward without fainting for about ten minutes. Your blood pressure has to be normal, or close to it, to keep you from keeling over.

For about a week, you'll feel drained. Heart should be gratifyingly in normal sinus rhythm (NSR) Maybe try short, slow walks, outdoors. No stairs the first day, or learn to use the good leg to lift and drag the incised leg after it.

You can shower the second day, and lift and inspect the bandage to ensure it doesn't look 'angry'. Red, swollen. If just a little stitch or whatever, looks good, don't scrub it~ Same for toweling...just pat. Replace the bandage.

No hot tubs, no swimming, no bathing for six days.

You'll feel more normal within a few days, and should be back to normal activity by Day 6-12...you'll be unique.

Do follow any discharge instructions. Take the medications they prescribe, as the prescription directs. See your GP within seven-10 days to look at the incision..................AND......................to ensure you are in NSR.

That's it! The worst part, if it can be called that, is lying flat on your back after the surgery and lying still, as still as possible, and wanting to go home. That's not so bad. Like anything of that nature, it's forgotten inside of a day.

There are videos on YouTube that describe this in good detail.
Basically:
Get to the cath lab ward hallway by about 0645. Take a seat, wait for the nurse to call his name. Hug and kiss to the person who will pick you up in six-eight hours, and you are taken to your bed cubicle. Undress, fully, put on Johnny gown, nurse will insert the IV.

Anesthesiologist comes by, chats you up, asks you your weight, any allergies, previous/recent surgery, anyone coming to get you afterwards, etc.

Electrophysiologist may pop in, but they'r eextremely busy that day...it being one of two/three days they have to operate at the hospital...if they don't use their own facilities.

Nurse asks you about your anti-clotting protocol, if you followed the pre-op directions you were mailed. You might be given an pill to help the process. I was, but only during my angiogram, not before either of my two ablation. ??

An hour, maybe three later, you get wheeled in to a chilly room, you lie on the operating table, you see people hear voices, and my EP came up and asked me my name, where I was, what am I presenting for, and who was going to do the procedure. He replied 'Perfect' each time. after a couple of minutes, the anesthesiologists places the mask over your mouth and nose and asks you to breath deeply.

You awaken back in your cubicle, and you feel....nothing. Hopefully not an extremely dry throat as I had for my angiogram. They use a dessicant for the TEE while they move the catheter around, and I got too much of it. Fixed for the two ablations. Speak up when they come by and tell you of the results. If you have to repeat the procedure (it happens in about 25% of ablations that they don't fully close all gaps, and you'll have to have a second ablation in a few months...don't worry, it really does happen), make sure to tell them about what really bothered you the most when you came to after the procedure last time. They do want to know these things 'cuz they don't want to hurt you.

You'll have either a compression bandage, really tight, or a heavy weighted bag, over the groin incision, and you'll be warned not to move. Not even lift your head to chat! This is for at least three hours.

They'll bring you food, and you won't be discharged to your driver until you can eat, drink, keep it down, AND walk around the ward without fainting for about ten minutes. Your blood pressure has to be normal, or close to it, to keep you from keeling over.

For about a week, you'll feel drained. Heart should be gratifyingly in normal sinus rhythm (NSR) Maybe try short, slow walks, outdoors. No stairs the first day, or learn to use the good leg to lift and drag the incised leg after it.

You can shower the second day, and lift and inspect the bandage to ensure it doesn't look 'angry'. Red, swollen. If just a little stitch or whatever, looks good, don't scrub it~ Same for toweling...just pat. Replace the bandage.

No hot tubs, no swimming, no bathing for six days.

You'll feel more normal within a few days, and should be back to normal activity by Day 6-12...you'll be unique.

Do follow any discharge instructions. Take the medications they prescribe, as the prescription directs. See your GP within seven-10 days to look at the incision..................AND......................to ensure you are in NSR.

That's it! The worst part, if it can be called that, is lying flat on your back after the surgery and lying still, as still as possible, and wanting to go home. That's not so bad. Like anything of that nature, it's forgotten inside of a day.