Symptom challenges after atrial fibrillation ablation.

BACKGROUND

It is unclear what symptom challenges occur during the recovery phase after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation.

OBJECTIVES

This longitudinal pilot study explored the patient perspective of the first six months following an AF ablation.

METHODS

Telephone interviews and questionnaires were used with 20 patients at baseline, at 1, 3, and 6 months after AF ablation. Telephone interview data were analyzed using content analysis. Longitudinal outcomes were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS

Mean age was 65 ± 7 years and the sample was 55% female. The severity and duration of fatigue was the most concerning symptom. Patient expectations differed from providers' expectations. Recovery was a much slower process than patients expected.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients struggled to manage symptoms after AF ablation. A more accurate understanding of the symptom challenges following AF ablation could lead to development of more realistic education to improve patient self-management.