ablation risks

[kris]

I have been told that I have AVNRT.  I am currently on digoxin for it, but have had break through episodes.  I would really like to get an ablation for this(rather than lifelong drug therapy), but am scared because of the small risk of death (we have two small children).  We live in a small town in the west, but have access through insurance to either go to the EP lab at the University of WA in Seattle, or to a Dr. Goldberg in Spokane, WA.  My questions:

In weighing my risks, is my risk of death or serious complication lessened if my arrythmia is AVNRT and if I am young(30) and healthy?

In considering drug therapy (ie. digoxin, beta blockers), are there actual risks from long term use that I should be considering?  Are there statistical "risks of death" from medication that I could compare to the numerical "risk of death" from an abaltion?  And are there any studies of just continuing on having episodes of AVNRT and the risk of accidents and injurys that can happen from the dizziness, etc.?

Do you know any  EP doctors in Washington that you'd recommend?

I'm trying to make an educated decision and a well thought out one.  Thank you for your time and input!  

[Jessica]

Well I would like to let everyone who is thinking of having the EP study and ablation for their rapid heart rates, think very carefully about it. I am 25 I have had rapid heart rates for as long as i can remember but everyone said it was anxiety or hormones when i was pregnate with my second child i started to feel like i was going to faint but never did, the highest rate they caught was about 215 but i know I had worse ones. Anyway,I didn't want to have to take meds so I had the EP study and  ablation,they found out i had WPW and AV node reentry, the first ablation didn't work then i had it done again we thought it worked that time but i went into 1st degree heart block and now have a pacemaker. It isn't the worst thing that could happen but if i had it to do again I would just take the meds. Now i have had the pacer since june I feel everytime it beats and one of the leads is going bad so they have to go again and put in a new one. Now all the Docs tell me that this just doesn't happen   very often much less to the same person but it is something to think about. My doctor who did the ablation has done thousands of them only one other time he had to put in a pacer,so he was good. I just want everyone to know it can happen.

[alicia]

Thanks Jan for the healthgrades info...it was very useful...it's reassuring to know people are looking out for one another-you're a nice person:)

[jan]

You can go to Healthgrades.com to check up on a hospital according to procedures and you can check up on dr.s,too. You can also fill out a survey on your doc and see if others have. I will note that the one and only neg. one I did was never posted, and I did it twice. It makes you wonder. Also, a local hospital I checked out I believe should of had a higher rating. It's the only site I know, though. Hope this helps.

[fake name]

I developed CHF after having episodes of PSVT/SVT's.  They were never caught on monitors but I did have to be chemically converted once.  I did not have many episodes before I developed signs and symptoms of CHF.  I had a heart cath done after the first episode.  According to the cardiologist, everything was normal.

The only other problem I had was an incomplete cervical spinal cord decompression.  I was assured by both the neurologist, Dr. M. Brown of HUP and the cardiologist, Dr. Husain, Chief of Cardiology Chester County Hospital that this was not the problem.

To the person that mentioned stomach problems prior to PSVT, check your sitting/standing blood pressure.  When I had the stomach problems and episodes, my standing blood pressure did not rise, it went down when I stood up.

To the person that used ice water to stop episode, you might have something there as there is a connection between soft palate and hypothalmus.  Use a search engine and research hypothalmus.  Somewhere there are references to cold affecting hypothalmus.......also hot things can cause autonomic dysregulation.

Good Luck!

[Kathy E.]

Hi guys, I have been I think the entire route.  I have had ablation both septal(for hypertropic cardiomyopathy) and a AV node ablation for A-Fib(SVT) I also have recently had a ICD pacemaker inserted. I am 45 and was using all kinds of drugs to control the rate of my heart, until the doses of the drugs became toxic and no longer worked.  The pacemaker is very new, but already my heart is much quieter.   Also, it controls the rate.  The(Av-node) ablation was not painful, they knocked me out, I had to keep my leg still for 4 hours, then was allowed up after 6. The pacemaker was painful after for about 2 weeks, I survived though.  If it all works I will be very, very happy!  Now, for the mothers, have you children checked every year.  I was born with the hytropic cardiomyopathy , it was not dicovered until I was 30.  I had tons of symptoms that everyone put down to hormones and age.  Getting the children a echo once a year isn't a big deal.  I have my kids screened every year.  Also, I found that sometimes putting my head in a bucket of ice water would slow the rate down, and sometimes shock me back into sinus.  (but ask your doctor, I only know what worked for me)Well, Good Luck everyone.

[alicia]

Hey guys...I hear everything you're saying...i'm 27 and feel like i'm losing my mind..I am scheduled for an ep study/ablation on the 15th and am pretty terrified....they say it's similar to a cardiac cath and I had that done three years ago...i've had problems with my heart rate for five years now and they've got fast rates recorded on a holter and two event monitors, but i've never had my worst ones recorded..my actual diagnosis is atrial tachycardia..all i know is that my quality of life has suffered greatly..i have horrible anxiety and depression...i hope this is the answer...is there anyone who can tell me what to expect???Are you asleep most of the time???Do they go through both of your femoral arteries?Are there ways to check out the doctor and hospital for statistics on their procedures???Thanks!!!