Catheter ablation is what my cardiologist is recommending to try to fix AFIB I have had since spending 4 days in the hospital before Christmas.

If anyone has had this procedure I would love to hear you input on its success and side effects.

A little back story is probably helpful. 2025 was a rough year medically. In early May I got a bout of shingles that lasted several weeks. June 1st, I broke a molar tooth on the lower right jaw. I had seven wisdom teeth, four in normal positions and three stacked in the upper jaw above the standard two. Over the years most were removed save for the one in the lower right jaw. Well, it decided to come in. Being at an angle, it compressed the molar until it broke. I was not having a lot of discomfort, so I put it off till later. June, July, and August I battled with a strange illness that was affecting the ear canals resulting in a drain being placed in the right ear. Once that was resolved I addressed the teeth.

In September I consulted my dentist about an extraction, but with the overlapping teeth and the wisdom tooth only partially exposed he referred me to an oral surgeon. The procedure was done in early October and botched badly resulting in a hairline crack in a molar on the lower left jaw. My dentist looked at it and recommended if I could wait till the new year more of the work would be covered by insurance.
In December, I started feeling mor discomfort and on December 21st around 5pm my wife called 911 as I was in bed shivering uncontrollably and semi coherent. So, I got my first ambulance ride and was admitted immediately at the ER. I had four IVs running simultaneously, two in each arm. My temperature was 104.5 and my heart rate of 200. Diagnosis was sepsis from the tooth infection. Four days later, forty-two 1000 ML bags of fluid and unknown amount of antibiotics and other meds I was sent home.

As a result of what caused the hospitalization, I now have AFIB. In January the were prepared to do a Cardio Inversion but had to abort at the last moment over a miscommunication on the blood thinner med. I march they were able to do the procedure, and it reset but only held for 48 hours. The catheter procedure is scheduled for April 24.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tuckerrnr1,

I had the procedure on 12/24/25. So far so good, waiting on new test results from 3 weeks ago.

I'd be happy, no delighted, to share info with you mainly because I'm still upright and taking nourishment, but I'm reluctant to do it here.

email me, and let's connect, email, phone whatever. current email is in my profile.

I have had 4 over the past 3 years. They finally got it right. I had A-fib and A-flutter. Heart was running around 175 bpm at times. The really strange thing was it didn't really seem to bother me that much. It is an easy procedure aside from getting your groin shaved and then lying on a large table, mostly naked, with about 8-10 people in there with you. I didn't have any side effects other than still having issues after the first 3 ablations. They will take good care of you, I am sure. If you have specific questions feel free to email me.

Someone I know had one. Seemed to work good for about 2/3 years. Then the problem recurred a few times after. If they guarantee it will get fixed. I would wonder about the character of the DR...YMMV

I have PFA ablation coming up on May 7. I'll let you know. Amio and MAZE procedure didn't touch it.

My wife had one in February of 2003 after almost loosing her three times in the ER (she flatlined).
Her ablation procedure was rare in that it was on the left aorta not the right but the electrophysiologist at UVA did an amazing job and she has been fine for the last 23 years.

It is much more common now and the procedure has been refined quite a bit since then. In fact, my 95 YO Mom will be getting one in June!

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
I have PFA ablation coming up on May 7. I'll let you know. Amio and MAZE procedure didn't touch it.

I had one in January 2025. It messed up my phrenic nerve and I was on oxygen for anything strenuous and while sleeping. One of my diaphragms is enlarged so that’s another issue. Anyway I think the nerve fixed itself and I’m good to go. The afib seems to be in check now so it was a good procedure.

I had cryoablation 11/27/2003, no AFib since then.

Had what felt like my first heart attack at age 34. Ambulance ride, buncha IV drugs in the ER, finally they put me under and cardioverted me. By age 37, I was living with daily AFIB and the meds weren't controlling it. Felt like I was drowning and had just run a sprint at the same time, all the time. Got the ablation in 2020 and when I healed up, I felt like a whole new person. That's not an exaggeration, there have been numerous "so this is how a normal person has felt all their life" moments. One serious side effect is that I can actually drink coffee now without feeling like I'm going to die of a heart attack, and have since become a coffee enjoyer. You can look at that one as a positive or a negative, depending. I recently got an espresso machine and have a quad shot with some Italian creamer every morning before I leave for work.

I can highly recommend the ablation. I take carvedilol and a mild beta blocker daily and feel great. A few random flutters a couple times a year, and that's it. Maybe 15-30 seconds worth at the worst instead of days on end.

Had this for aFIB in October 2025 as well, zero instances since then of any arrhythmia. I too am happy to fill in details by phone, email, whatever. It was a little bit of an adventure of a year, but outcome seems perfect.

I work peripheral to the business, for a group of radiologists in non clinical role. This means I got some insight over the years leading up to, during and after my adventure from some experts. Plus helped with a very good relationship with the cardiologist and EP who I see.

One caution is to take feedback from years ago with a grain of salt. The methods of mapping the specific areas of treatment have changed a great deal in that time. This has led to more accurate first time treatment with greater durability. Suggesting as above that a failure of result from this procedure is a sign of poor care or expertise is ridiculous and uninformed. This is not as simple as If A, Then B Then 100% result. This again is even more true for experiences from many years ago when as someone described to me it was as much art as science. That balance is improving with technology and research advances.

Also there is new "pulsed field ablation" which is seeing use in some areas and seemingly effective.

We have a couple cardiologists on the board as well, listen to them above us amateurs.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Georgeair,

Mine was scheduled for today, we cancelled since they want to do a Watchman at the same time which can eliminate the need for blood thinners, eloquis etc. UHC approved the abalation but not the Watchman as medically necessary, we're in the appeal process for that as my Cardiologist is trying to get it done at the same time.

Less time naked on a cold table with 10 people looking at your shaved groin... Seems like a good thing to be timed together.

Mine started last summer after a colonoscopy, spent three days in the hospital post colonoscopy, and then since then getting every test known to man, medication to slow the heart down, Turns out the thyroid went nuts a few months before and started hyperthyroidism so I got that going on and medicated. Hyperthyroid is a cause of Afib... at least that's the plausible reason, along with age etc...

Looks Like May 1 for the Abalation procedure on its own.

quote:

Originally posted by SW_Sig:
I had cryoablation 11/27/2003, no AFib since then.

Do elaborate, first I've heard of the cryo procedure, appears relatively new, my Cardiologist isn't performing that, and I don't see a facility in CFL, it's either WPB, UF or Tampa.

Looks like it might be much less invasive as a procedure and plenty of other benefits.

Strange, I had a Watchman put in at the same time as my last ablation and UHC covered the procedures.

As far as the ablation goes, it's a piece of cake.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by rbert0005:
Strange, I had a Watchman put in at the same time as my last ablation and UHC covered the procedures.

As far as the ablation goes, it's a piece of cake.

Bob

Well that's what the Cardiology people want to do, figure it will take some additional information to get it ok'd, since it's highly effective and likely I'd need it down the road, no reason to have two procedures when one will cover the whole thing.

We shall see what comes of it..

For what it’s worth, I’d be more concerned about the effects of the drug Amioderone, commonly prescribed in arrhythmia cases.

My friend had two, the first one was not successful, the second one was.

He is now free of AFIB.

I was on Amiodarone while waiting for my cryoablation.

That drug is TERRIBLE.

Had it done last year. Was out for 5 hours as the EP did the left side for fluttering and the right side for Afib. See the EP in about 2 weeks for check up. Right thigh hurt for about 2 weeks as he had to do so many zaps (around 89). I already know that this may or may not work but so far I seem to be all right.

Thank you all for the input, I put more information in the original post. I will certainly reach out personally if I have more questions as time gets closer. Hopefully all goes well so I don't have to claim "I shaved my balls for this?".

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
For what it’s worth, I’d be more concerned about the effects of the drug Amioderone, commonly prescribed in arrhythmia cases.

QFT.

I was on Amio after triple bypass and the MAZE procedure. Afib never went away but they kept me on Amio until Feb just to see if the MAZE would work. It was discontinued in Feb but the half life is months.

I'm just now coming off Amio effects and yesterday, my resting HR peaked at 121 for moments before dropping to 90. The swings are still present but now they are at higher BPMs.

Amio is nasty stuff.

While all this has been going on they put me on Metoprolol to control the heart rate, it's done a great job dropping me from 90-110 range to 50-60 bpm.