Living with Arrhythmia, Mr. Rafli Finally Decided on Ablation

For years, Mr. Rafli from Bogor lived with a heart rhythm disorder that could strike without warning. After a great deal of thought, he finally decided to undergo ablation at Heartology. In this video, he talks about the anxiety that stayed with him for so long and what helped him feel confident.

A Racing Heart Without Warning

Mr. Rafli had atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart rhythm disorder that makes the upper chambers of the heart beat fast and irregularly. At first, he did not understand what arrhythmia was. The symptoms often came while he was relaxing, for example resting or chatting. “My heart would beat like someone who has just finished a sprint, even while I was just talking like this,” he says. During an episode, his heart rate could reach around 180 beats per minute.

Over time, the episodes came more and more often. Because he could never predict when or where they would happen, Mr. Rafli often felt worried and panicked. That anxiety never really left him. “I had to live with arrhythmia, with the whole package of worries and imagination I had as a layperson,” he says.

Looking for Answers and Confidence

Mr. Rafli visited several doctors and hospitals. At one hospital, ablation had already been recommended, but the procedure could not be done there. At the same time, he was afraid of any procedure involving the heart, so the decision was put off for a while.

He then came across Heartology on social media. Before deciding, he researched carefully, from the medical equipment available to the education and experience of the doctor who would treat him. He truly looked into the doctor's educational background before he felt ready. He was then treated by dr. Sunu Budhi Raharjo, Sp.JP (K), Ph.D., a cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology, the field of cardiology that deals with the heart's electrical system.

Ablation and Back to Work

Mr. Rafli underwent cardiac ablation, a procedure using a catheter, a thin tube inserted through a blood vessel, to deactivate the electrical spots or pathways that trigger the rhythm disorder. He went through the procedure with his cardiologist, an anesthesiologist, and the Heartology team.

After the procedure, Mr. Rafli kept following his doctor's advice and attended regular check-ups so his condition could be monitored. When the video was recorded, he was back at work and no longer haunted by the worries he once had. “I may have already forgotten that I once lived with arrhythmia for more than ten years,” he says.

Mr. Rafli's experience shows how important it is to seek information and talk with a doctor before making a decision. If you often feel your heart racing for no clear reason, discuss it with a cardiologist.