Typical Recovery from Ablation

[Hyatt65]

I am slated for an ablation to treat SVT.  1) I neglected to ask my doc whether there is typically any pain involved during the recovery.  As I am sensitive and/or allergic to the more commonly prescribed pain meds, I wanted to inquire.  2) Are any other drugs typically given following an ablation?
Many thanks for your input!

[ireneo]

I've had 3 ablations and never needed any meds afterwards. My second ablation which took the longest (about 6 hours) was no worse than the third which was the shortest (2-3 hours). All I had was some bruising in the groin area (I wore soft boxers for a couple of days), a little fatigue but was able to do all my normal daily activities.

The anticipation of that first ablation is far worse than the actual procedure. Getting the IV put in was probably the worst part. Well, having my clothes taken away wasn't fun either but that's the way it goes. I had this fear that I would feel the catheters poking around in my heart. Nope, nothing. I just felt a little pressure in the groin which could have been the doc's hand resting there to guide the wires up. The meds are great! I remember very little. During the first time in the meds were light and I was able to watch some of it on the screen. When it came time to zap they gave me more meds and I was out. Or at least I don't remember it. They were very good about watching me, watching for any discomfort. I can't stand going to the doctor for anything so it must have been pretty easy for me to go in 3 times.

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

Hello Hyatt,

In general there is more fear of pain prior to the procedure than any discomfort during or after the procedure.


1) I neglected to ask my doc whether there is typically any pain involved during the recovery.  As I am sensitive and/or allergic to the more commonly prescribed pain meds, I wanted to inquire.

I don't think I have ever needed to send a patient home with narcotics after an SVT procedure. Most cases are done with a benzodiazepine like versed and a narcotic like fentanyl.  Versed works on the same receptors as alcohol and gives a relaxing feeling as well as affects your short term memory so you don't remember much of the procedure afterwards. The fentanyl is a narcotic pain medication.  It also helps you relax and treats any discomfort during the procedure.  After the procedure the venous access lines are removed.  This is usually just a pressure sensation rather than pain.  If you are one of the 2-5% that gets a bruise or hematoma, you may have a bit more discomfort after the procedure.  In general, most patients do very well with minimal discomfort.  If you don't want narcotics, ibuprofen often works just as well as percocet.  It helps to stay ahead of the pain (request the pain medication before you have the pain).  It takes time for them to work.


2) Are any other drugs typically given following an ablation?

Some hospitals/doctors will give an anti nausea medication before people get they get nauseated.  This is usually reglan, but other medications can be used for this purpose.

If you think about, after the ablation add comments to this post thread about how the procedure when so others can learn from you experience. It is helpful to read it from the patients perspective and you comments may helps someone else.

I hope this helps.  Thanks for posting.