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.