As someone with A-Fib, I found this discussion quite informative. I am seeing my cardiologist in the near future and will bring up possibly getting a referral for an electrophysiologist. Thanks.
Some don't know....they're asymptomatic. I couldn't stand it and sought a remedy or at least relief. It took a really good, highly regarded, EP two cracks at my heart before he finally got it back into blissful NSR. Across all EPs, the average success rate for an index ablation (first one) is about 75%, with variance between individuals. A second ablation runs about 84% success rate (free of arrhythmia for one full year). If you are quite unwell, anxious, feel the thumps, have shortness of breath, and you know when you're fibrillating, drugs may work...for a while...but it's a progressive disorder and the drugs won't work forever. An ablation does somewhat better, and if you stay in NSR for a long time, you can stop medications. There's more, such as a Watchman implanted into the left atrial appendage (LAA) that, if successful at closing off and sealing the LAA, you can even go off daily oral anti-coagulants in some cases. Bonus!
As someone with A-Fib, I found this discussion quite informative. I am seeing my cardiologist in the near future and will bring up possibly getting a referral for an electrophysiologist. Thanks.
Some don't know....they're asymptomatic. I couldn't stand it and sought a remedy or at least relief. It took a really good, highly regarded, EP two cracks at my heart before he finally got it back into blissful NSR. Across all EPs, the average success rate for an index ablation (first one) is about 75%, with variance between individuals. A second ablation runs about 84% success rate (free of arrhythmia for one full year). If you are quite unwell, anxious, feel the thumps, have shortness of breath, and you know when you're fibrillating, drugs may work...for a while...but it's a progressive disorder and the drugs won't work forever. An ablation does somewhat better, and if you stay in NSR for a long time, you can stop medications. There's more, such as a Watchman implanted into the left atrial appendage (LAA) that, if successful at closing off and sealing the LAA, you can even go off daily oral anti-coagulants in some cases. Bonus!