We had our pre-op appointment this morning with the RN. Cameron's Atrial Fibrillation Ablation procedure is scheduled for November 18 at noon. We have to check in a few hours earlier so they can get him comfortable and prepped. The RN went over the procedure in a little more detail and said it can take anywhere from two to five hours, with the three hour average I had mentioned before. Cameron's procedure will likely be longer because they will be targeting areas in both the left and right atrium. They don't like to work much beyond five hours because of the stress it puts on the heart and body, so there is a possibility that he could have to have two procedures depending on how much they are able to do the first time around.
The procedure starts out the same as his cardioversion did - with an transesphageal echocardiogram (TEE) to make sure there are no clots in his heart. If there are visible clots, the procedure cannot be performed. The RN also explained a third procedure risk today - damage to the esophagus. This is because of the use of heat to ablate the damaged nerves and the proximity of the esophagus to the right atrium. The risk is still less than 1% and there will be a heat sensor in Cameron's esophagus during the procedure to help monitor the temperature. If it is damaged, surgery will be required to repair it - usually with mesh.
Following the procedure Cameron will spend the night in the hospital and can expect to be released Saturday in the early afternoon. He will then be on the anticoagulation medication for another three months along with a new antiarrhythmic medication to help prevent AF and AFL during his recovery. Additionally, he will be on a strong antiacid the first week to reduce the risk of esophageal damage following the procedure. There is a possibility that his AF and/or AFL will reoccur for up to three months following the procedure while the tissues are healing from the ablation, though it is more likely in the first weeks, and decreases as time goes on. If this happens, they will either adjust the antiarrhythmic medication or use cardioversion again.
We are supposed to expect Cameron to be very tired in the week following the procedure as his heart heals. He will likely retain a lot of fluid following the procedure, which we have to monitor carefully. He will also experience a tightness or discomfort in his chest from inflammation and he may experience discomfort in the catheter sites in his groin and in his throat from the TEE and heat sensor. He also has to monitor his temperature and the feeling in his chest to ensure it is not a result of esophageal damage. He's supposed to take it slow, though he is encouraged to get up and move around - just not for long periods of time. He will be able to slowly work his way back into regular, vigorous exercise in the coming weeks as his heart heals.
And now you know what we know (c:
Wow Cameron (and Jen, who writes like a doctor), this is unfortunate but I'm sure you will do fine. Our prayers are with you (not much else I can do from this far away) and thanks for keeping us informed (though you could have left the part about groin discomfort from the catheter out...).
ReplyDeleteHang tough, and let me know what we can do.
CR
Holy cow, Mole. I'm sorry to hear about the need for such procedures but I know you will be fine. If tradition holds you should be getting another neo-shifter robot pretty soon. I actually don't remember what kind of robot toy I got you but the these do look pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Richie U