EP Study Risk

I am a 52 yom with no history of heart disease who had what appears to be a sudden cardiac arrest.  Luckily my wife, an anesthesiologist specializing in high risk trauma, was sitting next to me at the time.  She said I got a  blank look on my face, became diaphoretic and slumped over in the chair.  I was not breathing and had no radial pulse.  It took my wife over three minutes of giving CPR, thumps and whatever else she tired to get me back to breathing on my own.  Since then, three weeks ago, I have had no incidents.  Tests have been an echo, stress test, cath and cardiac MRI all with no findings.  EKG's are a mixed bag with opinions ranging from normal to its just doesn't look right but not sure why to a left bundle branch block.  Next up would be an EP Study if I want to risk it.  First EP guy said not necessary since he was 95% sure he would not find anything.  Somebody has to make up the other 5% but with all other testing and blood work normal, what is your opinion on having the study?  Would it be unrealistic to expect that this arrest was a one time thing never to repeat or is it a question of when and not if?  Thanks for you time Harry

[jrizzuto]

Wow what a story. No ambulance or ER that day? You must be very brave, I would have died of fright after it was all over. So you have no symptoms except for that one episode? Nothing at all, that maybe a holter monitor for a week or two would maybe show?

[cindy707]

Hi Harry i read your post and this is not the first time i have heard of this happening to someone.  EP studies as i am sure you are aware is the tracker for the electrical activity of the heart and unless someone feels that you had a major interruption here i tend personally to agree w. the EP doc.  I would make absolutely sure tho that every test available would be done on you to rule out anything that may be lurking.  I am questioning the comment of "it just doesn't look right" here. What exactly are they talking about a test result or the incident itself? Altho i have in no way the schooling that your wife does as a doc i do have quite a few years background in the med field as a advanced CPR and Pro Rescurer as well as first responder instructor and have literally done CPR on well over 50 people as i run field medic stations as command one and am an ex nurse and i have seen this type of thing happen probably 8 times where someone just suddenly goes down w. no hx. of heart issues.  Who knows Harry...could very definately be a one time thing never to happen again but absolutely everything needs to be ruled out i think....just for the record all but one of the 8 were "saves" and that person had a pretty extensive medical history.  I had the EP study done for about 4 issues and really gave te doc a run for his money so it is not without risk Harry....it is minimally invasive as they say but in your case you really don't know what the cause and effect would be so if it were my body i would tread lightly,,,its a very personal choice you will end up making in the end for both you and your family....good luck but at least you know there are others out there that have gone thru this as well.......

[chicky2001]

Wow, were you taken to the ER?  I would think if that happened to me I would go for an EP study if recommended.  You're lucky in that I would think your wife could direct you to a good EP.  I've been fighting having an EP study for three months, but I have given up.  I will have a date shortly when it will be done.  I'm not scared anymore.  Anything is better than living like I am now.  Good luck.

[chuparosa]

Did you wear a 15 or 30 day heart monitor? Since your ekgs seem to be a mixed bag as you say, I would think your ep would order a heart monitor for you before going forward with an ep study.

[halklk]

The latest EP guy said EKG's are normal except for some biphasic T waves.  He also measured a thickening of the septum between the ventricles on the cardiac MRI, which he is concerned about when combined with the three plus minutes it took to revive me. Both of these are often present in people that die from sudden death sydrome or whatever the term used.  The 30 day event monitor did not show anything abnormal.  He is leaning towards implanting a pacemaked/defib device as an insurance policy.  Before that he wants to do another Echo since the first one was "normal", which he is questioning based on MRI result.  If they find the same thing as MRI then a defib implant is in my future and the EP study would be unnecessary.

[Mom2four85]

Here's a good link I have for SCA; http://suddencardiacarrest.org/content/resources/sudden_cardiac_arrest_fact_sheet.pdf

Have they mentioned having a cardiac cath first to make sure you don't have any plaque, clots or kinks?  That's what my EP did after my MRI and before he implanted my PM/ICD.

good luck hope all goes well

[cindy707]

Harry i think that sounds like a great plan for you....i agree it would most definately be a great insurance policy for you because your wife may not be with you if it happens again and there would be no one there to help you .  On a personal level if it were my body i would even hesitate for a New York minute to have the ICD/pacemaker in my body if it meant i could sustain life....i have a close friend here in California that had to have the ICD implanted for a different reason and was with him the first time it fired off.....i obviously have some experience the external defibs but not the internal and when his went off we were both so shocked and ended up laughing so hard because he didn't miss a beat and didn't even spill a drop of his latte....needless to say he is done with lattes now because part of the reason for his ICD was irregular taching and he told the barista he wanted a decaf when he ordered and was that ever a lesson..the barista told him that she really didn't think it mattered that much for people and has tossed in a lone shot of expresso that was sitting next to the machine thinking she was doing my friend a favor..we spoke to her and the manager and you can bet she won;t do that one again...i'm  rooting for you Harry i think you should go for it and get your life back as you knew it...too bad they didn't come up with defibs for matters of the heart when it came to love and we would get a jolt telling us to back away...LOL...good luck my friend.....