Should i have the catheter ablation?????????

[ray_m]

Been recently diagnosed with wpw and been advised that i should have the ablation. Its booked for next week!!! Not sure if i should have it as i have no symptoms (not even slight ones!!) of wpw. I have tried to tell my consultant this however he has not taken this information into consideration and just booked me in!! I have heard that if wpw has no symptoms then it does not need treatment, should i go ahead with this or should i wait until i have found out further information or get any symptoms???? Please help!!! Thanx

[empressofq13]

I agree completely with Betty (mabebesc).  Just go talk to your Cardio.  He may not be telling you everything.  He obviously thinks you need it.  BUT maybe he thinks you were having a lot of symptoms and didn't really look at what led you up to getting all the tests.  He may think you are really sick of the symptoms when you have none.  Unless they see you every week, they really don't know your history and if your primary sent you to him, he may not have a clue.  Just go talk to him.  By the way I had a cardiac ablation with no complications and am soooo glad I had it done.  No worries.
Cindy

[rr2465]

I agree with the others - If you can do it, I would go and get a second opinion.  It seems strange that they would recommend the procedure if you aren't having symptoms.  I would not rush into doing anything before you feel comfortable doing it and they thoroughly explain what is going on and why you need the ablation.  (And why you need it right now!)  For me, having a certain comfort level and understanding what my options are made this entire process easier.  It is your heart after all!!!

Good luck!

Rob

[mabebesc]

Why don;t you talk to your Dr. again-or make an appt and go in to see him and talk about all your concerns and thoughts. Let him know exactly how you're feeling, ask why he feels it needs to be done right away, etc. I'm not sure you have all the facts yet.  If you do this and are still uncomfortable about everything, there's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion from another cardiologist..
Betty

[Bromley]

BTW if you have no symptoms, it could be that you have always had this and dont know what a normal heart beat feels like, or you could simply have a delta wave (forward conducting pathway). Your decision has to be driven by need of course; it may be that even though you do not perceive a heart beat issue, you have some urgent requirements to have this done. Be sure to ask the doc, and then get a second opinion.

[Bromley]

Figures.  My suggestion is to dump the date and go study for a while. I had 24 hours to decide and ended up with complications.  I think some of the folks that do this can become overly eager to do the procedure and justify it by saying the patient has indicated he wants to do this, even if it isn't medically necessary and carries risk, and without regard for the fact that a patient may not be able to put everything in perspective without some time to evaluate.  At a minimum I would get a second, independent, opinion about this, and delay your appointment for at least several weeks. The probability of complications is low for wpw ablation, but the complications can be serious. The statistics of course assume that whoever is doing your ablation knows what they are doing. People that know what they are doing are in high demand and it is not always easy to get in to see them.  Choose carefully, its your heart we're talking about here.

[ray_m]

Im nearly 21 but im stil realy unsure what to do i feel i have no other choice the doctors have never give me the option to do anyting they just booked me in for the ablation without giving me time to think about it. i havent even had time to get my head round the fact that i have wpw. the date for the ablation is getting closer and i have no idea what to do.

[mabebesc]

Boy, that's a tough one!  For me  an ablation  was a must. I was diagnosed with SVT and had to deal with it all the time.  You don't have any symptoms and weren't even aware you had any problem.  How old are you by the way? If you're really young, that could explain why you aren't aware of any  symptoms now but most likely this could change as you get older. Perhaps your Dr. is doing this early on to avoid future problems.

Betty

[ray_m]

yeah i just went for some routine checks and an abnormality showed up so i was sent for further tests and was told i had wpw. not sure whether to have the ablation as alot of stories i have read about it say they had no syptoms until they had the ablation and every time they have the ablation ther symptoms get worse, but on the other hand i have been told it would be silly not to have it. im also scarred of the ablation and im worried something may go wrong. Im not saying i would never have it i just dont think im ready yet i have not even tried meds yet.

[rr2465]

Do you have symptoms of SVT?  I'm not sure how they made a diagnosis if you don't have any symptoms?  Did they diagnose it from your EKG ?

[lagoya]

hello
i had an ablation for svt and i have read lots of posts in here from people who have svt as well and don't need an ablation cause their symptoms do not bother them or they are seldom.i know their is a difference between svt and wpw allthough i was told that i had an extra pathway and i was probably born with it  and both seen to conduct into tach.
for me my arrtythmia was too frequent and the meds were making me ill so i went for the ablation in the end and it feels much better.
i persume with wpw your doc has taken everything into play as in severity of symptoms and the potential risk for future arrhythmia's that may occur with wpw and have deiced to try and close the pathway for now and to avoid meds.
i think the decision is up to you and how u feel about this both now and in the future ,what i mean is if they could cure it now would'nt that be great ?but i understand as well if u feel good and have no symptoms why ablate.it is a difficult decision and i wish u the best in making the right choice for you.