Second heart ablation: Was it successful second time around?

Hi wtshelton, the short answer is Yes. I remember well how much better I felt after my second. I had my first due to a situation where my installed Pacemaker had to shock me back in rhythm and that was after being diagnosed with severe CHF . I had a situation where I caught a flu bug which caused an infection in the sac around my heart and fluid built up to the point my heart was trying to beat against it.
It caused my heart to enlarge which is not good for a heart. So after leaving the Hospital with a 5% injection Factor(normal is about 55) I was suggested to get a pacemaker Difibulator. This worked great with some meds and life went back to normal for about 3 years. My heart seemed to improve IF and got up into the 40-50 range. Well one night my heart went into its first arrhythmia and the pacemaker had to fire to get me back in rhythm. This prompted my first ablation. So I thought it was pretty successful but on a folow up visit my EP Cardiologist said he still thought I was having more arrhythmia than he liked and wanted to do a second one. Well the second one was very successful and life went back to normal. So my take on this is Yes especially since if your EP Cardiologist is the same one who did your first one he or she has a better idea now on what to expect on this second one.
Let's us know how you make out and if you have any questions please ask.
Blessings

After 2 and a half years I have to have a second ablation. I have an enlarged heart. And scar tissue. The doctor said I can live with the afib or op for the 2nd ablation. I’m 70 years old. I get severely out of breath just by walking to my car. I would like to know what do you think I should do?

I am 78. Had successful ablation last year at WakeMed in Raleigh. No more AFIB and off Eliquis. Hospital and surgeon key of course. This hospital is great for heart needs and so is Dr. Boulton for surgery. Check it out.

Hi @diane69, quite a few members have had a successful second ablation. I moved your message to this existing discussion
- Second heart ablation: Was it successful second time around?

Here you can see posts by @danab and @wtshelton, as well as @saganjames' reply to you.

You may also be interested in hearing about @iowafemale's story in this related discussion:
- Ablation Success https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ablation-success/

Diane, has a second ablation been recommended for you? Is your cardiologist worried about your age or other potentially contributing factors?

HI Diane, Yes I've actually had about 8 I think and my second was the most effective. As @colleenyoung said it's a well used procedure. Now for me mine were due to an enlarged Heart but my issues were in the lower part of the heart which are a bit more challenging . I did not have afib, But I had a supervisor once who did and his ablations I think were 2 of them and he went on to work for many more years. So I would say it's not my place to say go for it but with the second one of the benefits is the doctor has an idea where to look based on the last mapping .
Let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Blessings

Yes, second ablation has been recommended. But they say you’re only supposed to be in the hospital over night I was there for six days so I am a little worried. I don’t do surgeries well.

I know at least one person, not personally, but by reputation, who had seven ablations. The last was by a Dr. Andrea Natale at Austin Cardiac Institute. He is highly sought, extremely busy, and oh-so good!! He travels routinely between about three or four hospitals, even out to CA.

To answer for myself, I am nearly two weeks out of a second ablation. Long story, I had to go on amiodarone a week after my July/23 ablation. I was highly symptomatic, and not at all well. I had developed flutter in the left atrium by Christmas. In the ER for cardioversion three days in a row. My EP offered to touch up his previous work, and darned if it didn't take him but three minutes. He found the gap in the previous lesions, zapped it, at which my heart immediately went into NSR on his own. He didn't even have to shock it.
I think the majority of ablations are short-term fixes. If you get four years of relief, count yourself blessed. The disorder is progressive, so at some point you'll need another ablation or to go on chemicals. Sorry, it's the nature of the beast.

Hello my friends at Mayo Connect,

I have posted on several topics on Mayo Connect and have always had such good advice and comfort from all of you. I just need a little support and prayers concerning my second ablation happening on May 22nd.

I had my first ablation almost two years ago and becasue of an enlarged upper atrium and scarring, it was not an actual success. I was put on a small dose of flecainade and an increased dose of metoprolol along with my Eliquis and aside from not wanting to be on medicine, everything was fine and I did not have an Afib episode until a year and a half later.

My EP continually added more flecainade and metoprolol until I felt like I was walking thru mud daily. My heartrate was at 44 to 55 and I was having continuous events that became atrial flutter. My EP and I decided it was time to try again with a second ablaltion.

I was scheduled for April 12th of this year but a week before the procedure I received a phone call that my ablation was cancelled and my EP was not scheduling at this time. No one would give me the reason. I waited for several weeks and then consulted with another EP in the same group whom I absolutely loved. He told me I was overmedicated and immediately took me off of more than half of my medicines. My heart rate became normal and I had less episodes. My goal is to come off of flecainade because I live in fear of needing an antibiotic and flecainade, for me does not pair with any antibiotic. They would have to remove me entirely from this drug while I was on an antibiotic.

I am going to have my second ablation with this new doctor. I want so badly to become the person I used to be before I was diagnosed with Afib. My husband believes things happen for a reason and God has a hand in this.
I might never know the reason why my original EP is not doing procedures right now. He took care of me for at least 6 years but I was never comfortable with him and he was never positive with me. Hopefully, this new doctor will help me.

My question is...if the first one didn't work, what makes the second one work? I am finding myself so anxious about next Monday the 22nd...about the ablation and the recuperation period. I just need to hear some positive feedback from some of you so that I can breathe deep and relax.

Thank you so much,
Bless all of you,
CeCe 55

It is such an anxious time isn't it. I know exactly how you feel about wanting to breathe deeply & relax. All I know is that it is very common to have a second ablation and this might be all you need to solve your afib. Huge success rates with second one. I wish you all the best .

Different situation. I had problems with arterial fibrillation and the ablation was performed to deal with that. To the surprise of everyone, I then began to have very serious Ventricular tachycardia. The rate was below the lower limit on my pacemaker. With help from the St Jude software engineers and local rep, the docs were able to reprogram the device to avoid the worst but not all. I then had a second ablation, very comprehensive, I was in OR for 6 hours. As a result, although I still have some PCs (which ablation doesn’t stop), for a year and a half no more a-fib or v-tac. In my case, the second ablation was a great success. Of course every case is different.