Recovery after RF Left Atrial Ablation

Not sure. I was, until that evening, a patient with AF. The flutter, as I said, was news to me. It didn't seem to manifest at any other point in the months ahead, nor did it appear in any record that I became cognizant of prior to that evening. The gentleman told me that flutter tends to stay in flutter, while AF, especially paroxysmal, comes and goes. Yet, after a cardioversion, I went home and was free of any ectopy for about 16 hours. Then, after three hours in AF, back to the ER. Next day as well. The treatment was only a bolus of metoprolol. The third day, they sent me home and said to hope I converted. I did, within an hour or two, and had my second ablation about 13 days later.

i don't know if flecainide or amiodarone would convert flutter.

Thank you for your response.

I had an ablation on Jan 22 2025. I am not happy with the recovery process. It’s been 2 months now and my symptoms are a complete letdown. I can’t walk in to the next room without my heart going into palpitations and going into Afib. Going downstairs and coming back up causes palpitations that last a good while it’s better that 2 weeks ago when it was in palpitations all of my waking hours and any physical exertion whatsoever put me in Afib. Just standing up caused it.
I have gone to ER once already but they could not detect AFib as long as I was lying down and wouldn’t give me a Cardioversion which has worked in the past. I showed them when I moved my legs it goes to Afib but they released me anyway.
I would not have gone to ER if I had been able to talk with my doctor. I had called 3 times with no return calls. Talked to the nurse and she kept saying she would pass the message on to my doctor. But she never called back. The last time I called before I went to ER I had been in constant Afib for 63 hours. They kept saying it was normal.
Recovery is hard and I still haven’t recovered yet although it only goes into Afib when I physically stress. My palpitations have eased off some. I only get them with.physical stress too. My doctor or his PA or nurses have still not called although another dept called and said they would send a holter monitor to wear for 1 week. I sent it back Monday after wearing it. I have been pushing myself more. Trying to do more even though it goes into Afib. It seems like I can go longer each time but without talking to my doctor I’m not sure that I’m doing the right thing. My blood pressure, which I take 2or3 times a day is always ok. Sometimes irregular sometimes not. My pulse is either high 85-90 or low 55-60. Sometimes high sometimes lows. My regular pulse used to be before the ablation 65 to 75. I am 74 years old. Never smoker. I had mitral valve repair surgery in Mar 1993. Annuloplasty ring repair. I am currently taking 25 mg Metoprolol succ. Once a day evening. At one time after my last Cardioversion the PA put me on 2 a day. I had problems with that and passed out twice in one day. My doctor said that they were giving me too much and dropped it back to one per day. I am 5’ -9” and weigh 150 lb. I exercised a good bit before my ablation. Can’t now. I think the medication is having an effect on my recovery but my normal Cardiologist ( not the surgeon) said they couldn’t take me off of it unless I was in the hospital under monitor. I have an appointment with the surgeon on April 7th and hope to continue to get better before I see him. I don’t want to undergo another ablation. Hope this helps someone that is considering getting ablation.

You have had a very unfortunate experience. If it means anything, I know of a great many people who have had more than two ablations, one has had six, and it was only when he found the right electrophysiologist, about the best this side of England, Dr. Andrea Natale in Austin, TX, that he was finally fixed and has been AF-free for about seven years now.
You should not be left to suffer, even anxiety, especially if it interferes with your health and well-being, and especially with your sleep. I may have missed, with a quick read, that you are on an anti-arrhythmic. I think you should be on one if you are this chaotic. You would probably be better of calling around and finding another EP who will take you on, hopefully one who is more interested in communicating with you.
How do you know you have been in arrhythmia, apart from how you feel? Trained people can feel a wrist pulse and detect AF, but most of us need a Holter, or a smart ring, a Kardia, or a smart watch like the Galaxy watches, or the Apple watches.