Posted by Bill Kilgore on November 18, 2003 at 13:30:05:
In Reply to: PVA posted by Dave Funderburg on November 18, 2003 at 09:50:06:
Dave,
I asked your same question. My procedure was on a Monday, and I returned to work on Thursday of the same week and began to drive again by the end of the first weekend. I walked very slowly for days due to a hematoma in my right groin. I even had the hematoma checked out with dopplar ultrasound on the second Friday after the procedure. There was no problem, and by then I was beginning to walk comfortably. I am now three weeks post ablation and walking briskly for five miles or more. I am still not in the pool, due to bronchitis that is getting much better. Here is a driving tip I learned after an ablation one year ago that led to a pseudo aneurysm in my right femoral artery. When driving after the procedure, take braking pressure off your right leg by firmly planting your left foot on the floor board. Allow your left leg which receives only one catheter in the procedure to absorb all the force of stopping the vehicle. Note that the CCF uses only veinous sticks and does not usually go into the artery, which makes the procedure at CCF less likely to lead to a bleeding complication.
Best of luck,
Bill