went into v-fib in Ep study

[tickertock]

thanks for taking my?s.

my friend had an ep study for frequent episodoes of nsvt, she had an ep study done for this with the possibility for ablation.
she had the ep study done, however, no sustained or non sustained vt could be triggered in the study. apparently she had a few pvcs during the study but they didn't last long enough and was so infrequent the precise area could not be mapped, apparently it was near the av node and was not worth the risk to ablate it, however she was told she went into v-fib and had to be shocked back. she was told by the doctors they could put just about anyone in v-fib during an ep study and not to worry that she was okay. she was released the next day, no icd implanted. she is concerned that she went into v-fib , even though no vt was induced, now she is worried that she will go directly into to v-fib, despite being assured she has no life threatening vt. can you offer any advice or if possible reassurance? thanx for your time.

[Cleveland Clinic]

ticker,

Alot of the information to specifically answer your post is in details of the study.

However, during an EP study, catheters that deliver and record electrical energy are introduced directly into the heart chambers. Manipulation of these catheters can cause local irritation that can lead to an arrythmia such as v-fib.  In fact this is one of the risk of an EP study that is often described in the consent section.

It sounds like this may have been the case with your friend.

good luck

[wmac]

Well that friend is me. Im not sure I really liked your answer
Now this makes me a bit nervous. I think I understood the EP Doc at the hospital say that they could put anyone in v-vib and not to worry about this. My daughter was quite concerned about this so she posted and the way you made it sound was that this was more of complication than anything. The docs told me my arrhythmia is not life threating because the could not induce it, and now this happened. Can you please add a bit of confort this somehow.
wmac

[pms_barbie]

during an ablation i was thrown into vtach.  nonsustained vtach i didnt have to get shocked out of it or anything.  it terminated on its own.   i was told the same thing.  that anyones heart can be manipulated  into an arrythmia.  i was scared at first after that .  i talked with my ep dr he said the cathers caused it and not to worry about it.  i know its easier said than done.  good luck to you and just know your not alone in that experience.

[WPWGuy]

Hi, I have read and replied to some of your posts in the past.  I hope things are going well for you.

With my short run of VT (2 episodes of 10 beats on an external heart monitor, possibly other episodes not recorded, who knows?), my drs. explained to me that I had little to worry about.  Various invasive approaches could be pursued, but none of these were strongly recommended at all. Moreover, all doctors said that they would be OK with it, if I opted to do nothing.  

I am fundamentally not a "do nothing" person, and having these arrhythmias has been very very difficult to accept. But accepting the advice has been easier, now that I have talked to a few of the best in the business. Also, it has helped that my chest pain, palpitations, and VT sensations are diminishing on their own, and seem to be responding well to some lifestyle changes --- i.e. no coffee, moderate exercise, etc.

Good Luck.

[DottyCece]

I don't think you have to worry.  It is possible to put anyone into ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation.  The question that has to be answered is there any heart disease such as cardiomyopathy, valve problems, ischemia and so forth.  If there is and Vent Fib could be induced then that may warrant an ICD.  If the heart is normal, there is usually no risk of fatal arrhythmias.  I have heart disease and they were able to induce VT and VF very easily so I had to have an ICD implanted.  Next week I will have an ICD check where they will induce these arrhythmias again to see if my ICD functions normally.  Under lab conditions, I feel very safe.  They can handle whatever happens.  So, don't worry if you have a normal heart.

[Erik36]

If someone shocks your heart with electricity, of course it will induce some type of arrhythmia. It was just one of the risks associated with the EP study. There is nothing to worry about unless you go around zapping your heart with electricity. When people get struck by lightning, some people live and some people die. Everyone responds differently to electricity. The fact that they restarted the heart without an  problems is a good sign. If the doctors weren't overly concerned, you shouldn't be either.  I hope you can find peace of mind.

[tickertock]

thanks for the reply, you were right, the information was in the details of the study, after a reveiw of the details of the study the person in question was reassured that she not at any higher risks for sudden cardiac death than the general population or persons without nsvt.