Ablation SVT

Heart health and blood vessels
1

Hi, I just wanted to post some positive feedback on radio frequency ablation.  Without going into detail I have suffered with fast heart rate for around 4 years. Started off with short attacks a few minutes at time a few times a years, but over time gradually got longer and lasting up to an hour. I was offered ablation as the first option (gold standard) treatment, but as we all do Dr Google provided lots of worry and axiety.  I opted for a drug treatment Verapimil. Which I took for a number of years, but still had episodes of svt.  I found the svt was stopping me enjoying all the things in life.  I was constantly having to think about what I was doing or where I was going.  Controlling my life basically.

So we all have a breaking point.  I had a svt which lasted around an hour.  Off to A&E.  Thankfully it stopped by it's self just before having the Androsine. That week I booked in for ablation.  That was the longest wait, worrying if I would have another episode like the last, which was uncomfortable.

Appointment at Liverpool Heart & Chest date arrived for pre observation.  I was told to stop taking medication 4 days prior to admission and to shave right side of groin.

Procedure day arrived at Hospital ward (reminded me of costa coffee), all staff very helpful and friendly.  Doctor came to greet us in reception.

Shown to a small mixed sex ward, observations taken. Then asked to change and then went to sit in waiting lounge with my wife.  No pre meds taken.  After about 30 minutes called through and walked to cath lab waiting area.  Nurse took me into cath lab and checked all my details on a large white board.  All very relaxed with music playing.

Layed down on table, attached all the usual monitoring devices and inserted a line in my arm. Doctor put some local medication into my groin.  Then located the vein.  After medication was in did not feel a thing.  They inserted the cathitor and in seconds they where in my heart.  You can feel cathitors going in, just a strange sensation no pain.

Within 5 minutes they started the EP and moments later they gave me a shot of adrenaline.  Bang straint into svt.  I svt no more than a few minutes while they locate damages tissue. I had no sedation or medication and was fully concious.  They gave me a small amount of sedation and had 3 or 4 ablations.  Did not feel a thing.  Tried to start svt again without success.  Cathitors taken out and pressure put on puncture point on groin. Then taken back to ward.  Precedure took no more than 1.5 hours, all done very quick. On ward lay on back for an hour then they gradually started to elevate me.  I was eating and drinking within an hour. After about 2.5 hours was sat up and walk to toilet.  Soon afterwards dressed and sat in lounge.  From arriving a 0800am I was discharged by 1430.  I felt amazing (and also relieved) afterwards.  I had no pain or discomfort and thought why the hell didn't I get this done earlier!  At home I rested in bed for a few days, I did feel the odd twinge in my heart nothing more and had a small yellow bruise in my groin, which caused at little discomfort for a few days.  Like having a stone in your shoe.

I can't praise the staff and doctors at Liverpool enough.  The skill they have is first class,

I know ablation is a personal choice.  I finally had the courage to have procedure and four months later I no longer take medication and I am now able to lead a normal life without a dark cloud over me all the time. As for the ablation it's nothing worse than a trip to the dentist.

Hope this is of help. 

 

2

I,m seeing electrophysiologist next Tuesday, unsure whether I want ablation because I,m petrified, I,m 70 with svt and ectopics for many years, got worse since I aged.  I will go to Barts.

3

Thank you so much for your post. I was recently diagnosed. I had an episode 3 weeks ago that lasted 2.5 hours. Ablation was strongly recommended. I have been feeling nervous about having another episode, nervous about the procedure and keenly aware of all of my heart beats and flutters (2,000 extra beats a day). I also feel like a little black cloud is following me. Hearing about your experience is very helpful. Thank You!

4

Thank you Andrew .  This is a very informative post.   Very well done  !!

5

Thank you for sharing your ablation experience...it really is encouraging to hear how well it went. 

6

It's interesting how different everyone is. I'm glad yours was trouble free, mine was more complicated and ended up being in there for 3.5 hours. For me when they did the actual ablating it HURT, even with the pain meds they gave me. I find it fascinating how different people feel different things, like I feel every skipped beat and arrythmia but many people can have SVT and not even notice. And from the ablation it seems like plenty of people don't feel it at all while others like me have it hurt. 

But I wouldn't discourage anyone, for me it was not hard to get through physically at all. But mentally it was a real challenge, I'm a very anxious person and was terrified the whole time. On the plus side that made it very easy for them to find the arrhythmia as I went into SVT as soon as they started to wheel me back and the terror hit! 

Hope yours works out and you have no further problems!

7

Thank you Andrew. I also just have the ablation done on Jan. 16. I was totally fine for 6 weeks except of couple short episodes which were the healing process I learned. But last night I had the episode which lasted for 10-15 minutes. I had to take Atenolol (50mg) and Flecainide (50mg). This made me worried thinking of if it has come back. 

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Please advise.

8

Such an encouraging report, Andrew.  Congratulations on doing so well, and keep it going.

9

Hi everyone I had my ablation two days ago, everything was fine the doctor said, but he told me that I will have

an extra beats in my heart.    And if I needed I can take metroprolol.  First I did not understand why I have to take

the Metroprolol, it supposed that is for svt and he said I was cured.  Since I went out at the hospital I am so tired,

I felt like I walked like 30 miles, is that Normal?  And this is my second Ablation the first one, did not work, I hope

so this one worked, because what it happened in the surgery room was nothing compare to the recuperation.

Thanks everyone for your answers.

10

Please give yourself some recovery time, Emma.  I suspect that for lots of us the emotional recovery is much more demanding than the physical.  I, too, am taking metoprolol after my 2nd ablation. It does seem to help hold my ectopics down, and it definitely helps keep my blood pressure down.  Hope to hear a positive report from you soon.  Take care. 

11

I'm 70, too, Ann and had my 2nd ablation 8 months ago.  I understand, maybe too well, your petrified feelings.  This stuff is no fun!  Hope my experiences can help you.  I'm doing well, no SVT, but still lots of ectopics.  Back to walking 4 miles per day and resistance training 3X per week.  Almost have enough energy to keep up with 11 grandkids and one great-grand.  I'm very encouraged by my post-ablation experiences, and hope there's something such as this in your immediate future.  I wish the best for you.

12

I decided to wait and see, the electrophysiologist said that if my svt continued and increased I would go to my doctor and ask to be put on the list for an ablation.  I have a mild mitral valve prolapse which I,m told should be monitored.  Nothing was mentioned about my ectopic beat but my ecg was normal, so he said.

13

Your normal ecg is very good news, Ann.  I hope you've been told multiple times by now that an otherwise healthy heart tolerates SVT very well.  You may know, too, that mitral valve prolapse is common.  Physicians seemed to pay much more attention to it several decades ago than they do now.  My slight prolapse was mentioned frequently years ago, but not at all after my last thorough workup. I guess it could have self corrected, but I suspect that it's now considered no big deal.  Please keep us posted, and take care.