Cardiac Ablation

Hi There

I'm booked in for a Cardiac Ablation on Weds. I'm really really scared of all the medication etc that they will have to give me and the actual procedure. Could you please tell me how safe or unsafe this procedure is? I'm going into this thinking that I'm actually going to die (what I'm telling myself) . I'm just looking for some reassurance really.

Any reply would be a great help.

Thanks in advance.

Clare

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

hi Clare-
There are different types of ablations so it is difficult to give you a risk estimate without knowing what you are undergoing ablation for (atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, WPW,etc). If you have specific questions, please write back in and I'll be happy to help as best I can-- usually the procedure involves the insertion of multiple catheters into the heart and then the use of small electrical charges to determine where the source of the problem is; once it is found they try to cauterize it basically.

[ireneo]

Do you know what the ablation is for specifically? I've had 3 ablations to try to bring my atrial tachy under control. The medications were quite nice actually and I'm resistant to taking anything. One med just made me very relaxed, kind of a I-don't-care mood plus it kept me from remembering much at all. The second med I guess was for pain. I don't remember any. I knew I went into the cath lab, got hooked up to some interesting stuff (heart monitor, BP cuff, etc.) and then the meds sent me off to la-la land. Next thing I was back in my room wanting to eat. The hardest part besides getting the IV put in was laying flat for a few hours until the tiny incisions sealed up in the groin area. As much as I avoid going to the doctor, I was able to face going in for 3 ablations. That tells you something.

[clarehudson]

Hey there

Thank you for that, it says on my letter I'm havin a Perc Transluminal Ablastion Access' Pathway/AV Node Inc mapping. I sthat what you had done? :( x

[Momto3]

Good luck tomorrow!  You're gonna do great!

[ireneo]

Sorry I haven't heard of that kind of ablation. I've heard of cryo-ablation and radio-frequency ablation. I suppose they're looking for an accessory pathyway and checking the AV node. Mapping is part of the EP study. Time is short now. Have you tried to google that term (Perc Transluminal Ablation)? Perhaps the "perc" is percutaneous if that helps. All that means is through the skin. Good luck tomorrow. I know it's scary but you'll get through it just fine. It's the not knowing that's the worst. Come back and tell us how it went.

[clarehudson]

Hey there everyone
I was very brave and managed to go ahead with it. However I was so scared but I don't no what for it was brilliant. I felt nothing, I have five slits at the top of my leg they are a bit painful as for my heart it is fine I can't feel anything I've had no flutters palps or anything! the doc said he'd given me enough morphine to knock out an ox hehe!
Thank you everyone for all you help to get me through (what I thought) was going to be an awful procedure

Clare xx

[ireneo]

I saw your msgs over on the other board. I'm so glad it's over and everything went well. Just a little word though - considering the zapping they've done in there, it can cause some irritation to the heart and you may feel some flutters now and then. That doesn't mean your arrhythmia is coming back. It's just part of the healing process. Again, I'm happy to hear everything worked out well for you. Love those success stories.

[whetta]

Hi, my son just had a SVT, tachy cardia is what they told him he had so he had to have laser insert through his groin and they told him his heart was in excellent shape and nothing they could find.  What bothers us is that his two Dr. told him he needed this procedure and all along his heart was fine.  He did experience heart pulp of 180 beats, and fainted 2x.  I believe my son has anxiety disorders and never needed this procedure that scared the daylights out of all of us, just wish we knew what to do now.

[clarehudson]

Hi There

My mum was exactly the same as you, I originally thought I was suffering with panic attacks last year I ended up in A&E twice both with the pulse above 140-150. They had me blowing into paper bags, it wasn't until I ended up back in A&E with a pulse of 249 that they actually realised it wasn't panic attacks and I was suffering with SVT. It was awful when I was having what I thought at the time was panic attacks, I'm only 21 and I was really scared. I would seek advice from another specialist I no you have now seen two but just keep trying until you get an answer from someone as I no its awful to live with this as your constantly waiting for one to come on. i would just keep trying.

Clare x