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Is it worth even having an Ablation?
I'm going to be going for an ablation in November for my consistant PVC issues...(thousands a day and I feel everyone!!)....but with the specialist giving me a 60-70% success rate for this procedure...would it even be worth trying? (risks vs. benefits)....I see some people have been lights out for the procedure and some have been awake..i guess this is to do with the saying if you go to sleep...your problem can go to sleep also...but after looking at some of my holter and event monitor results...a big majority (about 5000) have been from 1a.m. till about the time I awake..So could I just ask to be lights out..?? Would it really matter? Anxiety also plagues me too...with only being 24 years old and having to take a handful of meds everyday because these PVC's just eat at me constantly..I really want to go for this...opinions...anyone?
THIS IS TO GLITTERAR,
I REALIZE ITS BEEN QUITE AWHILE SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A POST ON HERE, BUT I WAS CURIOUS AS TO HOW EVERYTHING IS NOW WITH YOUR ABLASION. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PVC'S FOR YEARS NOW, BEEN HOSPITALIZED AND PUT ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT MEDS. MY DOCTOR HAS DISCUSSED WITH ME DOING AN ABLASION, BUT NOTHING TELLS YOU HOW ITS GONNA BE OR IF IT WORKS WELL THAN THE ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED IT.
I REALIZE ITS BEEN QUITE AWHILE SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A POST ON HERE, BUT I WAS CURIOUS AS TO HOW EVERYTHING IS NOW WITH YOUR ABLASION. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PVC'S FOR YEARS NOW, BEEN HOSPITALIZED AND PUT ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT MEDS. MY DOCTOR HAS DISCUSSED WITH ME DOING AN ABLASION, BUT NOTHING TELLS YOU HOW ITS GONNA BE OR IF IT WORKS WELL THAN THE ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED IT.
Thanks for all your replies. I have read everyone very closely and you have all made me feel more comfortable about the procedure. As for my PVC being Multifocal or Unifocal, I would have to ask that, as I'm not sure. I would take a guess and say Multifocal and probably coming from the rv. But thats just a guess. What seems to be everyone's triggers....
Hi
I have had 2 ablations for SVT the last being March of this year. Both times I had twlight sedation. It is standard to have that with this kind of procedure in the UK but dose not seem to be that way over in the US after reading about the experiences of some of the folks on here.
I would just ask if it is possible for the sedation, made me feel better than any trip I have had to Amsterdam. Lol!
I have had 2 ablations for SVT the last being March of this year. Both times I had twlight sedation. It is standard to have that with this kind of procedure in the UK but dose not seem to be that way over in the US after reading about the experiences of some of the folks on here.
I would just ask if it is possible for the sedation, made me feel better than any trip I have had to Amsterdam. Lol!
Two days out from ablation and still doing well. Back pain subsided and still no palps...praise God! I made an apple pie today and some people are coming over later after we eat at Red Robin. My EP actually said I could go shopping but even though I LOVE to shop I haven't done that. We (my family and friends) continue to be amazed at the fact that someone can have a heart procedure with no stitches and feel so much better than before. Good luck to all who are scheduled to have and ablation...you will love it!
I posted the majority of my surgery info in my journal; there's only so much medical jargon I can take in lol
Kane, you should ask for more info about the nature of your PVCs to make a more informed decision. Ask things like are the PVCs multifocal or Unifocal? What ventricle do they originate in?
These have very specific impact.
For instance, unifocal PVCs means they are coming from a single spot which might mean some sort of damage to that area that needs further study.
Also, if they originate in the left ventricle, it's a bit tougher to get to that area and certain procedures for getting there bear greater risk.
These have very specific impact.
For instance, unifocal PVCs means they are coming from a single spot which might mean some sort of damage to that area that needs further study.
Also, if they originate in the left ventricle, it's a bit tougher to get to that area and certain procedures for getting there bear greater risk.
I completed an Ablation last July and have not detected any ectopic beats since plus I am off all Meds. Prior to that, the Holter was picking up to 24,600 SVE beats in 24 hours or around 30% of all heart beats. This was reduced with medicine (Toperal and Rythmol) which I was on for over six months. The Meds helped but did not prevent the SVE, and the side effects were causing problems for me as my heart rate dropped to under 40 and my blood pressure was so low I almost fainted every time I rose from a seated position.
Like you I was told that there was a 70% chance of correcting the problem the first time and after two visits the chances would increase to over 90%. However, the EP was 95% certain that I was cured after only one ablation.
The procedure was not painful for me. I can remember the insertion of the IV needle in prep room as being about the most pain (not that significant). I think I was awake for the entire procedure but I may have drifted off though. I do remember my heart rate going very high and beating hard during portions of the procedure but I was fairly relaxed due to whatever was going into the the IV. . There is a trigger protocol that uses high doses of isoproterenol, an adrenaline-like intravenous medication, that is used to speed up the heart and cause A-Fib triggers to start firing. So... basically it doesn't matter what time you go through the procedure of if you do not have significant symptoms at the time.
For me this procedure was well worth the time and hassle and I would recommend it.
Like you I was told that there was a 70% chance of correcting the problem the first time and after two visits the chances would increase to over 90%. However, the EP was 95% certain that I was cured after only one ablation.
The procedure was not painful for me. I can remember the insertion of the IV needle in prep room as being about the most pain (not that significant). I think I was awake for the entire procedure but I may have drifted off though. I do remember my heart rate going very high and beating hard during portions of the procedure but I was fairly relaxed due to whatever was going into the the IV. . There is a trigger protocol that uses high doses of isoproterenol, an adrenaline-like intravenous medication, that is used to speed up the heart and cause A-Fib triggers to start firing. So... basically it doesn't matter what time you go through the procedure of if you do not have significant symptoms at the time.
For me this procedure was well worth the time and hassle and I would recommend it.
Yes, I did feel when they were moving the wires. That was kind of weird feeling but not painful. When my heart rate went up 210 that was the most painful. They had to do that in my case to make sure all of the irregular heartbeats fired. I am feeling good today with only an ache in my back behind my heart. I suspect that mine, too were on the back side of my heart as I suffered with a very sore tender spot right where my heart was all through my palpitations. Couldn't figure out why therapy would not relieve my pain. Then I realized it was worse when my palps were the worst. It makes sense now that I am sore back there. Other than that the leg incision is fine. I felt so good this morning i had my son and husband move the living room furniture around! They teased me about the old me being back! I have a follow up appointment in six weeks and I will do a Holter monitor the week before that. Yes, it's good to have confidence in your Dr. It was also very interesting to listen and be awake during the procedure. I really wanted to be totally out but they could not do that. Good luck with yours...you'll be happy you had it!
If didn't have my ablation 2 mths ago; I would have died and never known I had malignant pvc's or anything else wrong with me. I had over 50,000 pvc's daily and sometimes more and I developed non ischemic cardiomyopathy from them.
The success rate depends on the doctor performing it, how many he/she has done and where they originate. My EP is the head of cardiology at our heart institute and had a 95% success rate, though he said with mine it may be less. He suspected my pvc's were from the bottom back side of the heart that is extremely fragile and thin; he was correct and couldn't ablate more than he needed because of this. (sometimes they ablate a bit extra "just in case")
A few days after my ablation, I had to have a cardiac cath and a pacemaker/icd implanted due to the pvc's (vfib) and possible ARVD. I'm slowly recovering and found out I have problem with my autonomic nervous system and on medication for that also.
After the ablation, I felt no pvc's at all; I do have times where I feel them starting or my heart starting into Vtach, but my pm converts them and I only feel a few twinges.
Would I do it all again, is it all worth it? I would do it again in a heartbeat :P
The success rate depends on the doctor performing it, how many he/she has done and where they originate. My EP is the head of cardiology at our heart institute and had a 95% success rate, though he said with mine it may be less. He suspected my pvc's were from the bottom back side of the heart that is extremely fragile and thin; he was correct and couldn't ablate more than he needed because of this. (sometimes they ablate a bit extra "just in case")
A few days after my ablation, I had to have a cardiac cath and a pacemaker/icd implanted due to the pvc's (vfib) and possible ARVD. I'm slowly recovering and found out I have problem with my autonomic nervous system and on medication for that also.
After the ablation, I felt no pvc's at all; I do have times where I feel them starting or my heart starting into Vtach, but my pm converts them and I only feel a few twinges.
Would I do it all again, is it all worth it? I would do it again in a heartbeat :P
Thank you so much for your input, and congrats on the procedure. Your words were encouraging and it also helped that you were having pvc issues too. I'm not quite have 30000+ but im in the 10000-20000 range on a normal day. Although Ive had days with only 1000-2000...its the days when I have the most, that rob me of that day. I'm kinda optimistic about the Dr. that is going to do mine, only because he's young. But the nurses all asured me that he was a great specialist. Knowing the Dr. is a big one for me too. So did you feel any wires inside of your heart? and when it got up into the 200 bpm...how did that feel? Talk to you later
Hi Kane...as I write this I am laying in my bed at home recuperating from an ablation for pvc's done THIS morning at 8:00! I am SO happy I had this done. I had 32,624 pvc's on my last Holter monitor and my pvc's totally changed my life! I was out of breath and in pain since last February. I was awake for the whole procedure with very little medication because of concern for too much suppression of the pvc's. I was uncomfortable when they gave me meds to allow more pvc's and my heart rate was over 210...that was about the worst. They burned 3 places, gave me medicine to induce more and none came.. I am optimistic they got it all and I have not had any since they finished. I am sore around my heart area but very tolerable. The leg vein is fine. I had a very good EP, Dr. Zhu who first start doing ablations for pvc's in 1994 and has done over 4,000 of them. My suggestion is to go for it! I'm looking forward to my new life!
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