Any Ablation Success Stories?

Thank u! Will look into. Happy for you!

I had a successful cryo-ablation, comparable success rate with PFA. Just find the best EP you can. I'm on the west coast so can't offer a recommendation on who that would be.
All the best!

Hi @richey
@gloaming recently posted a website https://afibeducationcenter.com/ that not only has a lot of great videos explaining afib, but the EP who created them, Scott Lee MD, is not bashful about stating what great ablation skills he has, takes on complex cases, and works faster than most EPs. He's in Hudson, FL which is 44 miles north of Tampa at Pasco Cardiology Center. One of his videos discusses pulsed field ablation https://afibeducationcenter.com/pulse-field-ablation-in-atrial-fibrillation/

I hope this might work out for you. Best of luck and keep us posted.

@richey followup on the Dr. Lee links I just posted. I just watched the PFA video and that's not his best video. Lots of other good ones on his site. Note that was posted 10 months ago and it sounds like he didn't have much, if any, experience with PFA yet so you would need to see how that might have changed in 10 months. Experience matters. He sounds very skilled at the traditional ablation types if you watch his other videos so I believe he will likely be skilled at PFA when he is experienced with it which may be by now or in the future. I just had a consult with an EP in California who told me he has done PFA on about 100 people. He said no one in the area has more experience than he does with PFA so maybe you can use that as a guide to what maximum experience with PFA looks like. He's been involved with the PFA program for 4 years (so pre-approval).

Thanks for helping that way, Zebra. I can't say I am an ardent fan of Dr. Lee (I don't know him at all, and don't currently need his services since my successful ablation), but you gotta hand it to him: he knows his stuff, he's very good at 'splainin' it all, and he does a comprehensive and thorough job of painting a realistic and modestly technical appraisal of the craft as it is currently practice.
I also appreciate the comments of various responders who have added their own experiences and understanding in the several posts in the past couple of days. This helps newcomers to see fleshed out experience and successes, but also that people need to be self-educated.........................for their OWN GOOD!
My last comment for now is that the experience across EPS with PFA (pulsed field ablation) is growing all the time, the engineers and trial experts who are seeking to improve its application to broader ranges and places of the heart are working at this all the time, and EPs themselves are learning how to apply the technique better. So, we should all expect, and hope, that PFA will become the most common method in the next five years. Right now, though, it does NOT enjoy a reputation for more success than RF ablation. There are several studies that I have seen showing that the difference between them is not statistically significant. So, there's a way to go yet. However, it is also widely understood that it is measurably safer than RF ablation because it doesn't endanger both the phrenic nerve and the esophagus, both of which pass right behind the left atrium's outer posterior wall. Further, because it is safer, the team doesn't have to apply a TEE to the patient (trans-esophageal echocardiogram) where a thing much like an endoscope is slid down the esophagus until the ultrasound wand is right next to the heart, and this is to watch for proximity of the applicator to prevent damage to tissues not needing ablation.

I had an MRI about a week prior to an angiogram to determine if I was ischemic. The cardiologist and electrophysiologist both wanted to rule out ischemia before subjecting me to what would have been an unnecessary catheterization if ischemia were proven. The problem was atrial fibrillation (AF in the medical establishment). I do not recall having any dye injected, nor did I have to ingest anything. I was injected with a radio-opaque dye for two MIBI stress tests on a treadmill. Each time it was a CT scan, though.

Sorry about this, but it was only 1 1/2 years ago. Getting forgetful at my age 75. Only seeing my cardiologist every 6 months.

Richey,
My cardiologist referred me to Dr Kenneth Yamamura. Dr Yamamura reviewed 3 ablation procedures and recommended PFA. I had ablation at Advent Hospital on fletcher and Bruce b downs. I received excellent care at advent.

Absolutely! I was on pins and needles with when the next Afib episode would happen. As an active late 50s gal, I didn't want to be on meds and didn't want this to curtail life. It took a few trips to the hospital with afib to make the decision. I rarely experience afib now but do know stress and too much red wine can irritate the situation. I am back to full activities. I do experience PVCS so I do take a half tab of a 25mg metoprolol succinate Er in the morning and they are nonexistent. It's been 5 years and doing well. No other meds. I did modify my diet to be more plant based as well. Feeling good. I wish you well.

I checked out a few of Dr Lee's videos. They're ok. The one about skipped beats (PVCs and PACs) was fairly informative and reassuring, although he didn't address the significance of PVC or PAC burden. I also thought he could use better visual aids in explaining heart anatomy. Too much hand waving. Those stock images and animated clips of a beating heart and fire-fighters battling forest fires, weren't particularly informative.