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Failed ablation

Posted by mjq @mjq, Aug 4 8:34am

I have had several cardio conversions. Doctor suggested an ablation would help stabilize the rhythm. Went through many tests in preparation for the ablation to pinpoint the exact area in the heart. Ablation failed within one day and I was back in a fib. Anyone have suggestions on what to do next?

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Profile picture for lgusan
lgusan | @lgusan | Aug 23 8:37am
In reply to @aard "I have a brother who had 2 ablations that didn't work. On the third, they did..." + (show)
Profile picture for aard @aard

I have a brother who had 2 ablations that didn't work. On the third, they did a two step process (can't remember the term, but gloaming had it a few days ago), ....they went in from the outside, then after that healed, the went back inside the heart to complete the procedure. It did the trick! He has been afib free. ...so don't lose hope. Until his third ablation, he had no energy and was constantly out of breath. His only heart med is no 5mg Eliquis morning and night.

My experience was a cryo-ablation by one of the best electrophysiologist in the country (U.S.), and then a mitral valve repair to be now afib free.

Wishing you all the best!

Jump to this post

Thanks for the information on this procedure and I will mention this to my Cardiologist.

Take care and God bless!

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gloaming | @gloaming | Aug 23 9:50am
In reply to @lgusan "Thanks for the information on this procedure and I will mention this to my Cardiologist. Take..." + (show)
Profile picture for lgusan @lgusan

Thanks for the information on this procedure and I will mention this to my Cardiologist.

Take care and God bless!

Jump to this post

I believe it is sometimes simply called the 'hybrid' ablation. A female EP has a YouTube video:


There are other methods like the Cox-Maze method (not sure about the spelling) which is much more involved, essentially open chest surgery if I recall.

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richey | @richey | Aug 24 9:41am
In reply to @sjm46 "Oh, my goodness! You were exactly what I needed to hear this morning! A person after..." + (show)
Profile picture for sjm46 @sjm46

Oh, my goodness! You were exactly what I needed to hear this morning! A person after my own heart! I absoluely agree with almost everything you said! And once the docs lay a diagnosis on you, it never goes away! I am a retired nurse and I know how to read, research, discern and make a reasonable decision for myself. I know how to ask questions and advocate for myself; this is something that most lay persons don't know how to do or are afraid to do. My husband is a case in point! I have to give him a list of questions that are reasonable to ask when he goes to the doctor and even then, the one doctor said to him "why don't you just bring your wife next time!" So insulting! I am 79 and I can out-exercise a lot of people 1/2 my age. I will not take this A-fib as an excuse to be medicated to death. I decided to take what I am comfortable with and see what happens. I have made life-style changes that I can live with--1/2 caf coffee, no alcohol, lost weight, exercise every day faithfully, eat right and make certain I get decent sleep at night. My B/P is fine all the time--except when I go into see the doc when I get white coat syndrome from being ticked off and then he can't understand what is wrong with me! Anyway, I loved what you said; wish we were neighbors!

Jump to this post

Good post. I have worked in health care for over 30 years as an Occupational Therapy Asst. As with you, I question everything, research, ask questions, and am wary of our current medical industrial complex focusing on more drugs and a general reactive attitude as opposed to proactivity and prevention.
Had a triple CABG, atrial and mitral valve replacement, and atrial appendage ligation in Feb. 2025. Took 8 hrs and 45 min I'm told!
Have afib flutter and paroxysmal afib. I refused to take the drugs initially prescribed when d/c'd from hospital. Amiodrone, digoxin, due to side effects and as these are "last resort drugs". Also contraindicated with my plavix, aspirin, and metoprolol. It's like Dr's use a "medication cookbook"! Let alone not even discussing the meds with me.
Refused eliquis and all DOAC's prior to surgery and after. So, I'm researching EP's for ablation possibilities and timing. I have a new cardiologist who is going to do an ECG next week. Have had no other test to assess post surgical heart function

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2 replies
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bettycll | @bettycll | Aug 24 12:04pm
In reply to @gloaming "I believe it is sometimes simply called the 'hybrid' ablation. A female EP has a YouTube..." + (show)
Profile picture for gloaming @gloaming

I believe it is sometimes simply called the 'hybrid' ablation. A female EP has a YouTube video:


There are other methods like the Cox-Maze method (not sure about the spelling) which is much more involved, essentially open chest surgery if I recall.

Jump to this post

This was an EXCELLENT video! Thanks!

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gloaming | @gloaming | Aug 24 12:27pm
In reply to @richey "Good post. I have worked in health care for over 30 years as an Occupational Therapy..." + (show)
Profile picture for richey @richey

Good post. I have worked in health care for over 30 years as an Occupational Therapy Asst. As with you, I question everything, research, ask questions, and am wary of our current medical industrial complex focusing on more drugs and a general reactive attitude as opposed to proactivity and prevention.
Had a triple CABG, atrial and mitral valve replacement, and atrial appendage ligation in Feb. 2025. Took 8 hrs and 45 min I'm told!
Have afib flutter and paroxysmal afib. I refused to take the drugs initially prescribed when d/c'd from hospital. Amiodrone, digoxin, due to side effects and as these are "last resort drugs". Also contraindicated with my plavix, aspirin, and metoprolol. It's like Dr's use a "medication cookbook"! Let alone not even discussing the meds with me.
Refused eliquis and all DOAC's prior to surgery and after. So, I'm researching EP's for ablation possibilities and timing. I have a new cardiologist who is going to do an ECG next week. Have had no other test to assess post surgical heart function

Jump to this post

The two 'great' EPs that I know of in the USA are Dr. Andrea Natale, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, and Dr. Pasquale Santangeli at Cleveland Clinic. Very highly rated, very skilled, complex cases. Natale was trained in Bordeaux, Fr, by the great living guru of all things EP, Dr. Pierre Jais. His understudy in France, also practicing at Bordeaux, is Dr. Hocini (female).

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sjm46 | @sjm46 | Aug 24 5:52pm
In reply to @richey "Good post. I have worked in health care for over 30 years as an Occupational Therapy..." + (show)
Profile picture for richey @richey

Good post. I have worked in health care for over 30 years as an Occupational Therapy Asst. As with you, I question everything, research, ask questions, and am wary of our current medical industrial complex focusing on more drugs and a general reactive attitude as opposed to proactivity and prevention.
Had a triple CABG, atrial and mitral valve replacement, and atrial appendage ligation in Feb. 2025. Took 8 hrs and 45 min I'm told!
Have afib flutter and paroxysmal afib. I refused to take the drugs initially prescribed when d/c'd from hospital. Amiodrone, digoxin, due to side effects and as these are "last resort drugs". Also contraindicated with my plavix, aspirin, and metoprolol. It's like Dr's use a "medication cookbook"! Let alone not even discussing the meds with me.
Refused eliquis and all DOAC's prior to surgery and after. So, I'm researching EP's for ablation possibilities and timing. I have a new cardiologist who is going to do an ECG next week. Have had no other test to assess post surgical heart function

Jump to this post

You are a individual after my own heart--pardon the pun! I am trying to make peace with the condition of A-fib, even though less than a year ago I was "perfectly" healthy. Now I take a handful of pills morning and night. I originally took a diuretic because my B/P was a little elevated (120/80 is now the OMG figure that gets you medicated). Then the PCP thought my lipids were "borderline" so since I am OLD, she wanted to start a statin. I said NO and did my own version of garlic and red yeast rice plus fiber. Wonder of wonders, the numbers went down. Then I got a low dose calcium channel blocker for the borderline B/P. Then a diagnosis of A-fib got that changed to higher level calcium channel blocker and a DOAC! I added Magnesium, life-style changes and still had a cardioversion in December 2024. Then the PCP did a routine bone scan and decided that my mild "osteopenia" (a truly BS diagnosis for anyone over 70 since 75% of us have some version of it) needed a bone building medication. I said NO to that and started taking more calcium with vit D and K included. I take extra fiber to keep the system regular and then when I look pretty stable, the doctor gives me a lecture on the dosages that I must take becaues Big Pharma says that one size fits all whether you are a 240 pound man or a 135 pound woman! As any woman knows from wearing panty hose, ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL. So thank you for the feedback. I am trying to one: just try to reduce the anxiety of this A-fib as long as it is dormant for the time being, and two: take what I am comfortable with after reading the literature. Good luck with your new doc; hope he listens to you since nobody knows your body better than you!

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