SVT and digoxin. when should the meds end and other options be considered.

[concernedmom09]

My son was diganosed with SVT when he was only a few days old. He was put on digoxin twice a day and has been on the meds for 4 and 1/2 years. when he was put on the meds we were told that he would outgrow it and be off the meds in a couple years. he starts preschool this year and we were wondering if there is another otpion besides medicine like surgery or something. we want him to wake up everyday without having to take meds and start his day like a normal 4 year old. we saw another pediatriac cardologist friday and he took him off the meds completely but said he had a low mumur and I know from what we've been told no mumur in a kid with svt is normal. so we left him on the meds until we can see his regular cardiologist. someone please help us with answers, we are so sick of the whole medicine routine. I want the meds to be gone but i want him to be safe and healthy.

[rjthkids]

There are options besides medication.

I was born with a congenital SVT. I took medication for years and finally decided I hated the way they made feel. I underwent a radiofrequency ablation via catheter that fixed 99% of the problem. It was a day procedure with really minimal recovery. I am now perfectly fine and the only time I am symptomatic at all is during pregnancy, and even then it is mild.

My daughter was born with W.P.W. (also an arrhythmia) and she underwent an ablation this January at 2 years old and three months. She had a couple of fainting episodes and felt that ablation was a far preferable route than medications. It was also a simple day procedure for her and she was back to her normal self the next day.

I do know that W.P.W. along with the syncope she experienced put her in the highest indicated class (Class I) for an ablation, whereas SVT in a child under the age of five, where the SVT is well controlled with medications is in the lowest class (Class III) meaning not clinically indicated. Which is probably why your cardiologist hasn't really mentioned the possibility to you.

However, if it is really impacting your son's life and he is having negative effects from the medication I would certainly put it on the table. If the mumur is an indication that he is developing any kind of heart damage from his SVT, that would put him in a higher indicated class (Class IIa I believe) that would make a strong case for an ablation.