The keys I think are 1. how often Afib occurs 2. are the occurrences increasing 3. how high is HR and BP. I understand your thinking and I believe you are right on with your own decisions. After my 1st ablation I had a brief 8 hour episode 11 months out and then 16 months later and then a year later and then a year later. All brief < 12 hours and all < 90BPM and good BP. Then last fall I started with every 3-6 weeks still reasonably brief < 36 hours and < 90 BPM and good BP but increasing in frequency. I have not gone to ER and always contacted my doc after I have converted. But the increase in recurrence has lead me to go for a 2nd ablation. It's been 5 1/2 years and mapping is better and surgical techniques better. Kardia has helped a lot because my episodes are brief even just running over to urgent care to capture it on an ECG was futile as I would convert before I they took a ECG. Anybody who is recurring I believe in having a Kardia. My doc recommended it and that is how I have been able to document episodes. Also when I have PACs it is easy to see them on the tracing and I know the difference. An aside about PACs my doc is a firm believer that they are too hard to have a successful ablation and so he says no. Yet I read about some who are ablated for PACs. I like my doc and that says a lot. My 45 years working western medicine has left me with a bit of cynicism -:) never mind my experiences as a health care consumer.
I've mentioned here before about my older brother 81 has used medication for controlling Afib and he goes to a large medical center in St. Louis. Biggest problem for him is when he exercises he can push it into Afib but so far converts quickly. He thought it was going to fail in a year or 2 and then get ablated. I think he is right at 5 years keeping it medicinally in sinus.