@d050526 Gerd and indigestion, belching due to gas (swallowed air) are among the three or four dozen known 'triggers' of AF. And AF can come on once for such triggers and never appear again in one's lifetime. Doctors know of 'holiday heart' which is when over-imbibers drink too much alcohol on a weekend binge or a party and end up in the ER needing a cardioversion....yet another example of a one-off event.

Have you had a gastroenteric evaluation to determine the cause of GERD?

Why is ablation 'off the table?' Cardiologists might disagree with an electrophysiologist's assessment, but if it were a disagreement over ablation vs. toughing-it-out, I'd soon be in the EP's offices, not the cardiologist's. So, don't give up hope that a worthy EP might feel you're very much a decent candidate for an ablation.