ablation therapy

[charsky]

I have been to hospital twice in one month in the spring with rapid heart rates.  First visit rate was 187.  After IV to stable my electrolytes I was released.  I wore an event monitor for two weeks and it captured athe beginning of a SVT which took me to hospital.  Heart rate got to 250 with some jaw and shoulder pain.  ER doc performed a cartiod massage and it immediatly stopped the SVT.  I was put on deltiazam after this event and was referred to the Arthythmia clinic.  They want me to have an ablation procedure.  I had been on Yasmin (bc) to control PMS symptoms for 5 years until my last attack.  I have been feeling better but still experience fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches and flutters.
I am afraid to have the ablation procedure.  Could it make my situation worse?  Please help.

[littlegreenman1]

http://www.ahipresearch.org/pdfs/2009IndividualMarketSurveyFinalReport.pdf

See page 4.  Average family out of pocket max in 2009 = $10,000.  The average reader of this forum will be dancing in that arena with ablation.

I'm just sayin' know you're going to have some hefty bills coming. If you can't afford it... drug therapy might be the way to go for you. Or... if you only have a slight episode of SVT in rare occasions... you might just be able to deal with it. (that was my third option).

[littlegreenman1]

My co-pay was a couple - several thousand (2 times several) - BCBS as well.
Lots of plans now are $1000 deductible, 10% co-pay up to several K out of pocket. Say that's, $3000... the individual will pay $4000. Often, if they have family that OOP will increase. So, if their spouse has a podiatry problem, "odd" mammogram... add another $2k. This is all well and good for folks that are knocking down $100k. (I do.)  But for folks that are earning $40k, $30k, $25k, $15k... (they are here too) - you HAVE to weigh that vs the cost of drug therapy, in which generics at Walmart are $10/month... $120 a year.

It DOES matter how much it costs to sustain life. If it didn't... move to Cuba. This is Healthcare in the USA. If you can afford it: get the best. If you can't - figure something out or die from it. Sad, but true.

[cindy707]

I had an ablation done almost 4 years ago and the SVT is now a memory for me. It is a no brainer and an very non invasive procedure that i always say is a heck of alot easier than a root canal.  As long as the doc says you are in the 70% or higher range for success i wouldn't even hesitate.  I got my life back plus some and most people go home a couple of hours after the procedure you will be surprised at how easy it is.  As far as littlegreenmans post goes....most insurance companies have no issues with paying for an ablation..i had blue cross and my co pay was 600.00 and i even paid that on payments to the hospital.  My procedure was a little crazy because i had some issues that had nothing to do with the SVT that popped up and my procedure was over 100,000 and i still had to only be responsible for 600.00.  So my personal feeling is this...you have to ask yourself is your life worth 600.00 or 40K it really doesn't matter how much it costs to sustain life...i think if things ever got serious enough and your life became at risk not just for SVT but for anything i think if the outcome were dire you would not have the chance to come back and say...geez i wish i would have taken that loan out.....because obviously it would be impossible....no matter what you have to figure out what your life is worth to you....i don't think any doctor or hospital got into the business to simply make money i believe in my heart of hearts that they want to save lives or they would have all became Steve Jobs and went straight for the money...and they don't they are in the business of saving lives......

[littlegreenman1]

I was ablated on 7.30.2010

Here's something that NEVER comes up here, but needs to be considered. Ablation costs $40-60,000. (after insurance discounts)  Be prepared to pay your max out of pocket. You can probably work with your cardiologist to find a drug regimen that will work for you. Probably would be a generic that can be filled for $10 a month at Walmart.

At $50,000… yeah, the docs and hospitals want you to be ablated. It’s good money for SAFE outpatient surgery.

That being said, *I* didn’t choose to have a chemical dependency problem for the rest of my life. I’m in my 40’s and had all grandparents make 89+… so that’s 50 years of drugs.

So, weigh the options, costs (material and physical) and your desire. I got FIXED. I took a loan, but I got fixed.

[Jerry_NJ]

An Ablation is safe, not 100% but nothing is that safe.  Given your young age the benefits of a successful Ablation will be long term, and I think worth a "normal" risk.

Ask you doctor for an estimate that the Ablation will cure you condition (80% or better would be good I think) and the probability of complications (less than 1% would be good).

Some of your ongoing symptoms may be side effects of your medication.  A successful Ablation should get you off of all medications.