Good post. I am in chronic afib and was treated with ablation (microwave) for the first time at age 65. This is because medicare covers this so the docs decided my case was increasing in severity when I got on medicare. Prior to this I was treated witt blood pressure drugs that slowed the heart rate. I am still on them too.
As an aside, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and likely had it throughout this time period. Now with SA treatment, everything is improving. The afib has stayed in a non-critical state and I can swim and golf for exercise. The respiration problem did get severe enough that I retired from teaching — too much walking, too out of breath.
I had four attempts to restore sinus rhythm and they all failed. Likely due to the respiration problem at night. (My opinion, but the docs have not disagreed).
The last procedure was a mini maze and I asked for a clamp on the Left Atrial Appendage because it was a contributor to stroke. The clamp is still in place and — no stroke so far.
Blood thiners resulted in brain subdural hematoma (2 times) so that is why the clamp was used.
Bottom line, check for other problems that contribute to afib, yes, I was overweight and had diabetes. They may all have been related to SA.
My cardio only wants to see me once a year, unless I develop problems and want to see him sooner. I am now 78 and so I have made it past the ten year mark, and take each day one at a time.
i have had severe obstructive sleep apnea for a quarter of a century, but have been using CPAP successfully this whole time ...
also, subsequent to successfully cryoablation by one of the top cryo guys in the nation (Wilbur Su at Banner in Phoenix), a cox maze IV was done during a CABG open heart surgery along with excision of the left atrial appendage as an insurance policy ... good thing too, because i just had my mitral valve replaced five weeks ago and the cardiothoracic surgeon laughed when i brought up the possibility of afib as a consequence of the surgery and said he thought i was likely afib-proof ...