What tests do patients need to have prior to atrial fibrillation surgery? Whether you are having ablation surgery, hybridization surgery or left ear blocking surgery, the most important test before surgery is an esophageal ultrasound to see if there is a clot inside the atrium. It is easier to see the heart ear through the esophagus, and this test must be done. In addition, a cardiac ultrasound and atrial CT are also needed to understand the structure of the atria. Other tests depend on the patient’s condition, some need to do imaging, and some need to do some rare tests. For most patients, three main tests are needed: esophageal ultrasound, CT, and transthoracic echocardiography. About how long does it take to do all the tests and to get the results? Very quickly. The results of these tests are usually available the same day. How soon after the tests are done can the patient be scheduled for surgery? The procedure is usually done within 24-48 hours after the esophageal ultrasound is done because the main purpose of an esophageal ultrasound is to check for blood clots in the heart and ear, so if you wait too long before doing the procedure, you will need to redo the esophageal ultrasound, which will increase the patient’s pain. If no clot is found on the esophageal ultrasound, then surgery needs to be scheduled as soon as possible. Other tests, including transthoracic ultrasound, CT, etc., may take a little longer. How long does the entire procedure usually take? The procedure is very quick if you are having a left ear occlusion. The procedure takes about an hour, sometimes less than an hour, to complete. The catheter ablation procedure usually takes between one and a half and three hours, depending on the difficulty of the operation. The hybridization procedure takes a little longer, as it is done by a surgeon and an internist together, so the procedure usually takes four to five hours. How long will I have to stay in the hospital after the surgery? If the procedure is a left ear occlusion or catheter ablation, the patient is usually discharged from the hospital in about two days. If the procedure is a hybrid procedure, it takes a little longer because there are several small holes in the chest wall that need to be drained, so you will need to stay in the hospital for about a week. How long does it usually take for a patient to recover? For catheter ablation or left ear blocking, patients can be on the floor in a few hours and recover quickly. Patients who have a hybrid procedure require a supervised process and basically recover in about a week. How much do I need to prepare for the entire cost, including surgery and tests? The cost of a catheter ablation procedure in a public hospital is around $80,000, and the cost of a left heart ear blocking procedure is about the same; a hybrid procedure requires an internist and a surgeon to work together and costs around $150,000 to $160,000. Of course there will be variations from hospital to hospital. All these treatment costs are reimbursed through our national medical insurance, for example, 70% in Beijing, and only 30% for the individual, which is not a big financial burden for the patient. Can you summarize what patients should pay attention to during the follow-up period after surgery? There are a lot of patients with atrial fibrillation, so more and more patients are having the procedure, and the post-operative follow-up becomes more and more important. After all, ablation has caused some damage to the atria, which requires a repair process; therefore, patients have to take medication for a period of time after the surgery, usually for several months, during which they must follow the doctor’s instructions and take the medication properly. In addition, the atria and the esophagus are close to each other during the ablation, so in order to reduce the damage to the esophagus, we must pay attention to the diet. For the first two weeks, you should eat less raw, cold and hard food, and try to eat softer and warmer food. Avoid alcohol, coffee and other things that can stimulate the heart and make the heart beat faster. After the surgery, you need to give your heart a chance to recuperate, which takes about a few months, after which you can live a normal life.