It is amazing. Blood thinners (anti-coagulants) will continue for at least several months until they are sure the procedure worked. I'm pretty sure it did, I can feel the difference in my chest. No more skipped heartbeats, which were common, just seems smoother-running. It might be psychological of course, but I'm very optimistic about this outcome. The nurses did say that there were zero events of afib overnight, and apparently that doesn't happen all the time. It can take a few months for things to heal up to see what the final effects will be.
The surgeon is an interesting guy to talk with. He very clearly loves his job and enjoys what he does, his eyes light up talking about it. Just the kind of guy I want to have working on my heart.
They tell me to take it easy, don't drive for a few days, don't lift more than 10 lbs, and skip the gym for a week, then restart at 1/3 the pace, gradually increasing weekly until back to normal.
We're staying in the hotel for an extra day since we're almost three hours from home and if there are any complications like bleeding from the entrance wounds (where they put the wires in) I don't want to be 80 miles from Nowhere if that would happen. Doc agreed that was a good idea.
And, I can put most of the hotel bill and the fuel we used on the drive on my HSA debit card. If both of us were in the room, $100 per night, and last night when I was in the hospital, $50/night for DW since she is caregiver for me. See
IRS publication 502 pages 10-11. The hotel also has a "hospital patient" discount, I guess they figure patients aren't going to party and tear up the room. The hotel is across the street from the hospital and is close enough to walk to/from. This is saving money the hard way....