Athletic heart with heart rate abnormalities post ablation for a fib

Posted by skins64 @skins64, 13 hours ago

I’m writing about my daughter, 24 yo athlete who started having palpitations in July after a significant cold, presumably covid in 2024. At that time she hadn’t had a vaccine for 1.5 years. By 5 months later these palpitations worsened, by March she got a monitor that showed v tach vs aberrant a tach? With a rate of 311 while backcountry skiing. She got an ablation August 2025 and all that triggered was atrial fibrillation. One year post ablation she’s having fast rates at rest and slow rates with exercise. But no dizzy spells and is currently wearing a monitor again. She was a competitive swimmer for 15 years, very dedicated and had a resting HR 42 and I often wondered if she developed an athletic heart. She had little follow up and no rehab. I wonder if young people and athletes with this problem aren’t properly training their hearts after ablation. How is the medical community addressing this? There are heart centers in Boston and Chicago for heart training in athletes, but what about if you live in WYOMING. Anyone else have similar experiences? Thoughts on rehab?

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gloaming | @gloaming | 5 hours ago

https://www.healthgrades.com/clinical-cardiac-electrophysiology-directory/wy-wyoming
I know none of these and cannot vouch for them. But it might be the beginnings of an inquiry.

You need to find an EP who does complex ablations. Clearly your daughter's case is complex....not just a simple PVI like most newly diagnosed patients (pulmonary vein isolation).

If you have the means and motivation to travel, look to Dr. Andrea Natale at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin. He has privileges at numerous hospitals in the central and western USA and travels to them often. Dr. Natale is a top tier EP, world renowned. He trained under the vaunted guru of all things EP, Dr. Pierre Jais in Bordeaux, Fr.