No pain, usually under general anaestetic. if EP is good - go for it! The main point you need to have (plenty) of PVC during procedure - bail out if there are none going into ablation. Only after 2-3-6 months you will know the true results, you may be cured instantly too. Good luck! I am now 15k a day after 2nd ablation, that did something but seem so far missed it, but a good EP is essential.
I had an EP study 10 years ago for SVT and I believe short runs of NSVT. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to provoke either long enough for mapping and so I didn't get to have the ablation.
I was awake sorta... They do give you some medication where your awake but your kinda out of it. The deal was that we would start out that way and if he was able to do the ablation he would knock me out then. I really can only remember bits and pieces. I did not have any pain, I just could feel my heart racing and him asking me questions here and there.
When I made it to the hospital they brought me into a room to prepare (start an IV, get into a gown etc). I hung out there for a little bit and then after a short time they brought me into the study room, which was CRAZY COLD but really cool looking. That transferred me onto the table, started some loopy meds in my IV and started to place the cather into my groin area. He talked to me pretty much the whole time and told me things he was doing and how I would probably feel like, "I am gonna give you some medication now that's gonna make your heart go really fast and your probably going to feel uncomfortable but not in a painful way but not to be afraid cause its normal and what needs to be done to provoke an irregular heartbeat".. he joked around a little, asked me if it felt like i had s horse running in my chest and beyond that I really dont remember much else about being back there.
When it was over they brought me back to the same room where my mom and husband were waiting for me and told me I had to lie flat for 6 to 8 hours to allow a blood clot to form in my artery and after that I was discharged home...
I do get a lot of PVCS and PACS. I get more PVCS then I do PACS. To the best of my knowledge drs here wont do an EP study for just PVCS unless someone is having more then 20,000 per 24 hours.
I hope your procedure is a success.
Reread your post. I would think that most physicians would consider several thousand PVC's a day as manageable, and probably wouldn't do anything physical until they reached 20,000 per day or more.
First, what is your PVC load? That is how many are you having per day?
Second, there is usually no reason TODAY why you need to be awake for this procedure. Its uncomfortable, and can be of long duration. I had an ablation in 2010 for SVT at UMass, and my daughter had one for AFib last January at U of P in Philly. Both of us had general anesthesia.
This procedure usually requires and overnight stay for observation, whereupon you're discharged the following morning. The nature of the procedure allows you to travel freely to whomever you want to use. You're not forced to use a physician in your area. Has this physician put you on a long term monitor? Has he examined your particular data from a long term monitor. What is his success rate? I would act with caution if this physician wants to do an electrophysiology procedure without thoroughly examining your case.
Would I do it again? Both of us would. It was a very positive experience for both of us. It seemingly cured my daughter of AFib, and me of a near lifetime of SVT episodes. Dont rush into this. Proceed with caution.
So that should say "either" update this post or create a new thread...sorry. dont know how to update my original post :)