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Need advice on SVT ablation
I am scheduled for an SVT ablation in two weeks. I have had SVT from the age of 13, which was misdiagnosed until about 10 years ago. My GP put me on atenolol, said it was not necessary to see a cardiologist. Recently, the medication doesn't seem to be working anymore, and I had the worse bout of SVT of my life last week, wound up in the emergency room, treated with adenosine which is the only thing that works to stop the attack. Finally have seen a cardiologist and decided to have the ablation done. Is there anyone out there who has been through an ablation who can advise me on what to expect and how their experience with the ablation went? I have been told that this is a very safe procedure with a 95% success rate. Thank you for any advice you can provide.
Best Answer
There are quite a few of here who have undergone an electrophysiology procedure with ablation. I had my first SVT event at 6 years of age (I'm 60 now) and it occurred about 4 times per year, until the last ten years when it began to increase in frequency. When it hit 3 to 5 times per month, I decided to do something about it. The duration of the procedure depends on the difficulty in finding the source or sources of the problem. Mine was very easy to find, but required 17 burns to bridge the wide conductive tissue that was causing the problem. It took about 5 hours from the time i scooted onto the table until I opened my eyes in the recovery room. I was given a choice of types of sedation and opted for full sedation. It was not at all unpleasant, and I highly recommend it. Recovery time for me was 2 days of complete rest, then easy walking. By a week, was back at it. If you check my journals under my user name, I have chronicled my experience with the procedure from consideration to full recovery. Hopefully, it will provide some insight for what to expect. Don't hesitate to write if you have any questions. BTW, it's 4 months with no episodes. I hope it works for you too!
Hi Tom
I can relate to so much of what you're saying, our experiences are so similar. You were fortunate that you were able to convert your SVT episodes. At first, my episodes were only a few times a year and very short and when I felt one coming on, I'd lie down on the floor and put my feet up until they passed, then I'd be fine until the next time. 10 years ago when the attacks became more frequent and more severe, the doctors taught me several ways to convert or abort an attack.....none of them worked.....so it was off to the hospital for some adenosine. Actually I welcomed the adenosine, even though it felt horrible for a few seconds, because I saw it as my lifeline.....it is the only thing that could break an attack. Atenolol worked for several years, but the side effects are unacceptable to me, and now it seems that it's not working very well for me any more. Since the bad SVT episode a few weeks ago, I feel like I'm always riding the edge of another occurrance. Terrified that someday they may not be able to stop it. My husband and I have been together for nearly 28 years and he has seen me through the worst of the SVT. We will both be happy when it's gone. It will be great to be able to live a "normal" life after all these years and be able to do what I want without worrying all the time. Again, thanks so much for your help. I am reading your journal and will be in touch with any other questions. And the countdown begins, 14 more days until ablation day!
I can relate to so much of what you're saying, our experiences are so similar. You were fortunate that you were able to convert your SVT episodes. At first, my episodes were only a few times a year and very short and when I felt one coming on, I'd lie down on the floor and put my feet up until they passed, then I'd be fine until the next time. 10 years ago when the attacks became more frequent and more severe, the doctors taught me several ways to convert or abort an attack.....none of them worked.....so it was off to the hospital for some adenosine. Actually I welcomed the adenosine, even though it felt horrible for a few seconds, because I saw it as my lifeline.....it is the only thing that could break an attack. Atenolol worked for several years, but the side effects are unacceptable to me, and now it seems that it's not working very well for me any more. Since the bad SVT episode a few weeks ago, I feel like I'm always riding the edge of another occurrance. Terrified that someday they may not be able to stop it. My husband and I have been together for nearly 28 years and he has seen me through the worst of the SVT. We will both be happy when it's gone. It will be great to be able to live a "normal" life after all these years and be able to do what I want without worrying all the time. Again, thanks so much for your help. I am reading your journal and will be in touch with any other questions. And the countdown begins, 14 more days until ablation day!
In the 54 years that I had SVT, I was always able to convert it by do Valsalva, and never once had to go to the ER. If I had, I believe I would have done something about long before this. So, having it became a way of life, although it interferred with it quite often. I just lived with it. Ablation today is probably safer than messing with different medication and their possible side effects. My cardiologist tried me on Metoprolol (which I still take for good BP), then suggested ablation therapy instead of messing with other antiarrhythmic meds. at our age, there's concern that the heart will be able to withstand the 200+ rates without damage. My journals will explain what I encountered, but basically, the worst part of the procedure was the large hematoma on my thigh after the procedure. This took several weeks to go down, and 2 months for the purple/brown stain to drain down my leg, and be absorbed. However, I've been very happy with the resullts! Yes, my wife is extremely relieved I had this done. We met when we were 15, so she literally had almost a lifetime of enduring this along with me. Good luck, and if there's any questions you have, I or someone else here will try their best to answer them for you.
P.S. Congratulations on your full recovery! I can imagine how relieved you and your loved ones must be!
Thank you, Tom, for sharing your experience. This info is very reassuring. I will definitely check your journals. I have been on atenolol for the past 10 years, it seems to be losing its effectiveness, I've had several close calls since November and two weeks I had a very bad SVT episode that put me in the ER. I have been asking my PCP about consulting a cardiologist for the past 10 years and having an ablation performed, but he said it could be controlled with medication and I didn't need to take extreme measures. I have also had unpleasant side effects from the atenolol, extreme fatigue, constant dull chest pain, and a 50 pound weight gain. PCP attributed these side effects to the fact that I am getting older (I'm 58) and my metabolism is slowing down. I just learned from the cardiologist that these are indeed side effects of atenolol and I should have had an ablation 10 years ago. It was good to hear this and I felt validated for the first time since this whole SVT saga started. I do have an EP selected, he is located in Providence and came highly recommended. But thank you for offering the name of your EP - I greatly appreciate your help.
I checked your info, and see that you appear to be in Rhode Island. DO you have an EP selected yet? I could give you the name of mine if you don't mind traveling to UMASS in Worcester, MA.
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