5 year SVT post-ablation recurrence of 30%?

[Wisconsin2007]

I just read an interesting article here:  http://www.medsci.org/v06p0028.htm

The article reports on a study done for people receiving ablations for three types of SVT.

The thing I found really hopeful was the great initial success rate, as measured by the patients (avg 90%).  

The thing I was really disappointed with was the overall recurrence rate after 5 years (30%).  A little more than half of that was a new SVT, new atrial flutter or new atrial fibrillation, the smaller portion was a relapse of the initially treated SVT.

Sure, a 7-in-10 chance of not having to deal with it ever again is great (though with 30% recurrence in 5 years, who's to say that number wouldn't grow to 50% in 10 years?), but it's not as high a number as I'd originally thought.  

I'm surprised that given the length of time these procedures have been used (15+ years), there aren't more long-term studies on it's efficacy.

Kinda took the wind out of my sails.  I'd thought that, looking years down the road, if I developed SVT that was symptomatic, I could count on an ablation to fix me permanently.  Not I'm not as sure.  Darn.

[Wisconsin2007]

I know.

I've had a string of bad health luck the last few months and am feeling like I'm at my wit's end.  Feels like I was given a 40 year warranty, and now that I turned 40, all my parts are starting to fail.

So I'm probably in a worse mood than I should be.  Just tired of the strain and stress of ongoing tests, and trying to hope for some good news for my upcoming event monitor.

[Jerry_NJ]

The numbers sound pretty good to me.  Nothing is forever.

The heart, like other key organs continue to deteriorate with age and anyone over 50 who hasn't had any health problems is very fortunate and the clock is ticking.