Well, I was right. The docs came by shortly after I finishing posting yesterday and sent me home to await scheduling for a second ablation. That will begin with check-in on Monday Oct 1 at noon at the mothership in Murray UT. (The nurses at IHC Murray are fantastic!)
Roughly 50-75% of patients profit from an initial ablation--in terms of controling irregular heart rhythms. I did. That procedure bought me a year or two, I think, before a second circuit established itself. Of those who need a second ablation again the percentages are pretty good: 40-60%, I think, profit from that one. A third is possible, too. But by that time I believe they are thinking about pacemakers. One of the PAs said he thought this one would be easy, apparently fairly well localized.
Pacemakers are primarily for supporting low heart rates but apparently can also be programmed with a lower limit and an upper limit. In that case the heart upper and lower circuits are separated and the pacemaker controls it all.
This is probably simplistic but it is what I understand right now.
My first ablation was 4 hours! I expect the same this time. By then it will be late enough that I will have to overnight once again at IHC in the Heart Institute. They pierce the groin in a couple places and don't want you oozing when you leave. So earliest home will be Tues but we might stay in SLC another night to be sure we don't need services quickly.
Notably, I have had a pretty good day today. I came home yesterday speeding along and remained speeding until I went to bed. I was free of speeding today until after lunch when I had a burst for a couple hours. Free at this time (HR 72bpm)
I should note that a maternal cuz in Canada reports that he is living in a-fib permanently since none of the foregoing worked for him at all. He is not the only person I know experiencing this.
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