Post Catheter Ablation Experience

[CNickels77]

I am 27 y/o and just had a catheter ablation for SVT a week ago.  Since, I've been feeling a little bit weaker but have been getting better every day.  I had trouble after the ablation bringing my heart beat down to a normal pace and had to spend the night in the hospital.  The Doctor said that I was sensitive to the adrenalyne and coupled with being dehydrated would take some time to get back to normal.  Has anyone had a similar experience?

Also, any suggestions on when to begin exercising.  Prior to the ablation I had been working out about 5 days a week but I don't want to push it too hard...

[Tony890]

Hi researcher09, thanks for your advice.  I don't know exactly where the pathway is, except it is on the right hand side and well away from the AV node.  I would like to keep my EP doctor as he is now very familiar with my electrical conduction system.  I do not know whether he operates from Royal Brompton.  I know he does in a number of hospital other that St Thomas, where I was seen.  I will explore this with him.  So thanks again.

[researcher09]

Hi Tony, if the pathway is in a spot that is difficult to get to, perhaps your EP can refer you out to Royal Bromptom.  RB is equipped to deal with the difficult to access SVT cases, right free wall for example or even congenital hearts.  The right free wall accessory pathways are difficult in SVT ablations although I am not sure if that is what you have.  Best of luck in getting a successful ablation.

[Ken81]

I'm in the same boat as tony,  about 3 weeks out and now I'm starting to notice palpitations when I get my heart rate too high from exercise.    I've been an athlete all my life I'm really hoping this isn't a permanent.     I had sustained outflow track VT.  

[Ken81]

Im in the same boat as tony, I'm   about 3 weeks out from an ablation and starting to get palpitations when I get my heart rate too high from exercise.    I've been an athlete all my life Im really hoping this isnt permanent.     I had sustained outflow track VT.  

[tom_h]

Yes Tony, the accessory path remains.  It's just been bridged or severed by a series of burn dots until the path ceases to conduct.  Mine was left side, and required 17 burns to interrupt conduction.  I'm not sure if that is few, or many.  But the electrophysiologist said that it was a wide conductive area.  I guess the reason it took me so long to anything about it was it had become intertwined in my life, and I just dealt with it.  To ability to terminate them on my own and stay out of ER's those entire 54 years that I ha it no doubt was key in doing nothing about it.  While I'm thrilled and thankful for having it done and getting my life back, I'm faced with the reality that there is a lot less life left than what has gone by me already, and I lament that.  Still, I always challenged my SVT, and did things, sports and activities that dared it to happen.  Sometimes it did.  But aside from one family activity, open ocean sailing, I don't think that it held me back too much.  Enjoy your life Tony, and I hope you can do the things now that you may have hesitated at before.

[Tony890]

Hey Tom.  Wow, I thought I took a long time to get around to doing anything about it!  Mine is also AVRT (initially thought to be Wolff Parkinson White, not sure whether it still is).  The good news is the doctor discovered that my pathway is slow conducting, so apparently no risk of sudden death. I'll wait to see whether the ablation attempt has had any effect at all.  The doctor said although the pathway is still there, it's just possible it no longer gives SVT episodes.  We will see.  Otherwise it's probably beta blockers and then perhaps having another ablation attempt in a few months.  I am pretty active, so was really looking forward to doing activities without having to worry about the dreaded SVT suddenly kicking in.  Such is life.  

[Tony890]

I had an ablation for SVT yesterday.  This was at St Thomas hospital in London, UK.  I was awake the whole time.  My doctor was quickly able to induce my SVT rhythm and locate the accessory pathway.  This was on the right side of the heart, well away from the AV node, apparently it is quite a difficult site to access.  Unfortunately, despite a number of ablation attempts, he was unable to break the pathway and had to give up. He told me afterwards that you can only have so many attempts before causing too much wounding and inflammation at the site.  He had a good look around my heart, including going into the right side through a hole between the chambers to try to find any more accessory pathways.

My doctor told me afterwards that he could have another attempt in a few months time.  In the meantime he will put me on beta blockers.  The whole thing is pretty traumatic and the thought of having another attempted ablation does not fill me with joy.

I'm 55 years old and have had attacks of SVT since I was 10 years old.  These were mainly during heavy exercise or stress.  I could always terminate them myself without too much trouble.  However, in recent years, it has become more troublesome and I saw my doctor about it for the first time about a year ago.  He recommended ablation.

[tom_h]

Hey Tony. It sounds like your history is about the same as mine.  I experienced my first episode at 6, and finally had it fixed at 60.  I could terminate all of my mine as well.  But when my cardiologist finally saw one, he urged me to get it fixed, and coaxed me into the cath lab.  Mine was a left sided accessory path AVRT,. I hope you go for it again when you can.  SVT rates are increasingly tough on our again hearts.  Good kuck!

[tom_h]

Make that "aging hearts"

[o409]

I had my ablation about 3wks ago and I'm much older then your son... I'm still waiting on the energy to return. I'm very frustrated that when I sleep all night and get up in the morning that in about an hour or two I want to go back to bed and sleep more. My ablation worked, but the pain I went through, I'm just not sure if it was worth it... unless my energy returns I'm going to very unhappy!
Hope your son recovers well and gets his young energy back that he deserves :)