post ablation observations

I'm writing this from the comfort of my family room sofa.  I had a successful ablation procedure performed today for WPW (Wolff Parkinson White).  I thought I'd write down some observations while they were still fresh.

I went down to the cath lab around 8:45am.  Just before rolling me away from my wife, they hit me with a syringe of Vallium.  By the4 time I got to the lab.  I could barely focus, it hit that fast.  I slid onto the table had an mask place over my mouth and nose and breathed O2.  That was the last I remembered until I was roused by the anesthesiologist.  When I pointed to my wrist (time), and he said it was 1:40pm

By 2:15, I was back in the short stay cube and was trying to shake out the fuzzies.  Dr. Rosenthal, my EP doc visited me shortly afterwards.  He confirmed that I had WPW and that it was really easy to ablate.  He said that I went into SVT very easily, and that it took no time to find the right area and begin the ablation process.  I think he said that he made 14 burns.  Apparently I had a very wide conductive muscle area that required multiple burns to bridge the width.  He showed me strip charts of the tach dropping out as he burned the areas.  Afterwards, they paced the heart at diffferent rate trying to antagonize the tachycardia, but could not succeed in doing so.

My problem was in the left ventricle.  To get there they typically puncture a hole between the upper chambers with the catheter.  In my case though they had another route.  The hole between the ventricles that we all have as a fetus did not seal up as most do.  In a about 2% of the population, the hole comes together like sliding doors, but doesn't seal.  They probed that area and found the crack in the door, and used that route instead of the puncture.

Both femoral veins were use, with the right side used more extensively.  That left a hematoma and a large lump on the right side which is black and blue now.  The nurse said it looked typical.  I discovered that they don't surgically open the leg but rather insert the catheter "funnel" like a large needle.  So there aren't any sutures.

My resting pulse is presently elevated.  At the hospital, it was initially 130, but slowly dropped to around 100 at my release at 5:00pm.  It is now in the low 90's, 6 hours later.  I was advised to monitor to minitor my pulse rate and call if it didn't drop to normal levels.I was ordered back on my full dose of Metoprolol (100mg/day) at least until I see my EP one month from now for a followup.

Since my release, I have experienced about a dozen wesk skips or perhaps a short run of tach.  I not sure because that don't have that THUMP! that I'm acccustomed to.


If you discount the anxiousness I experienced, the entire procedure was very simple and fairly painless.  The most pain I've experienced, is actually in my throat from the intubation along with a burning sensation at the tip of my penis when I urinate.  A Foley catheter was inserted into my bladder prior to my awakening form anesthesia.  I was shocked to find this because no one has gone there before!  But there's a first time for everything I guess.  Removing it was an interesting experience to say the least, and some something that only males will experience!

So my EP says it was a successfull ablation procedure.  I'm a pessamistic type of fellow, and want to give it time before I concur.  But so far, so good!

[jyant]

Do you have the clicker?

[tom_h]

No clicker, jyant.  The "doors" appraently closed very tight.

[jyant]

I meant the remote control to the tv.

[tom_h]

Ahh!  Yes, the clicker plus an attentive and very compassionate wife.

[cindy707]

That was a great post you wrote.  It definately took me back to when i had mine.  Its sort of weird reading about others ablations for myself but i think they are all pretty boiler plate when it comes to the procedure. The quick runs you are getting i think are pretty typical....i know i was on a light beta blocker as well after mine to keep things at bay and help me thru the rough spots until i completely healed.  I am so glad that you had an easy time of it...your procedure pretty much mirrored my own except for that catheter thing which i definately cannot relate to (thank God) because i hear that part for a male is not fun when they take it out.  Well Godspeed to you Tom in healing and i look forward to reading your posts in the upcoming days....like i always post i feel that the ablation is a no brainer when it is done thru a catheter procedure....i am soooo happy for you...get well soon....

[itdood]

Thanks for posting this Tom, it will be helpful for many.

[chuparosa]

Great post about your experience. For me, I walked into the lab and got on the table myself then two nurses put a ton of sticky patches all over me. It was probably 15 min before I got knocked out. I had a catheter as well which I felt was very gross and uncomfortable. I've never taken any meds for my svt and I didn't get any afterward either except for one baby aspirin for a month afterward. That was an interesting bit about getting to the other side which I think you are talking about the septum. My doc had to pierce the septum to get to the left atria to ablate my svt but he didn't think that was such a big deal although I did. I totally agree with the sore throat. Mine was quite scratchy but I was told that was probably from the oxygen (I was out for 7 hours).

So glad all went well for you!

[aylish28]

glad you came through it well and hope for an excellent recovery!!

[littlegreenman1]

Glad they're really confident. It's nice to be fixed!

Good night - BAM! - it's afternoon time and you're fixed.