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...

[lagoya]

hi
i spent 2 nights in hosiptal after mine i had to get adrenalyne as well and the first night i was ok but the next day i was shattered and very tired.it takes a while for the heart to heal after an ablation as it is still having to work {obivously} and after the burning.i would take it easy for now or for a few weeks leave things settle a bit.i know i had a lot of pain in my muscles after ablation but it subsided after a week or so.keep youself hydrated and enjoy the rest.
i dont know exactly how hard and how soon u could exercise i think your cardio should have advised u on that  but i persume u could resume lightly to start after a few weeks depending how the ablation went and how good u feel.exercise is important for the heart and the body as a whole.but i would not go lifting heavy weights until your leg or where your cathers were placed was well healed or as to not put extra stress on the heart as it heals
have  u asked your doc about this
was the ablation a success

[CNickels77]

Hey Lagoya,

The Doctor said that he believes that the ablation was a success.  In the days afterwards I would get a beat that would feel like the beginning of SVT but then it would just sort of short circuit out so that is probably a good sign.  My legs have healed up pretty quickly and aren't tender at all anymore.

On the exercise front, my Dr. said to take it slow and wait until I feel pretty good.  It's hard for me to say though, I feel pretty decent now but don't want to do any damage by working out too hard.  Maybe I'll just walk and do some light cardio for the next week or so.

When did you get yours done?  Was it a success?  I think that my expectations going into the ablation were that I would be out and about by two days afterwards but I found that it has taken me quite a few days to start feeling back to normal.  The first few days were the roughest because my heart rate seemed to be staying in the 90's and 100's even at rest.  I've gotten it back down to normal levels now...

[lagoya]

yeah it takes a while for the heart to settle after having those wires poking in there plus the stress of the procedure which is normal i went back lightly {exercise}after about  3 weeks and on docs advise just to be safe and i exercise away now without much problems.
my ablation was this time last year and i may have to get another cause i get quite a lot of pvcs that have gone into runs alltough not as bad as before or they would last as long i had a bunch of tests again recently and i am seeing my ep on the 9th of sept to see if i need another i may not they just might leave me a low dose beta blocker for now.i have no problem exercising or getting my hr up  and have no pvcs during exercise or heavy thumping --sometimes it can take 2 ablations just a little fine tuning.
glad yours was a success u may get the odd flip-flop here and there its just the heart healing

best of luck

[mabebesc]

Hi,

I had an ablation on the 4th of August.  My heart rate was up too the day of the procedure -90-s.  Even now, if I overdue, it seems to beat faster than normal.   I think it's fairly normal because of the meds used and the whole procedure itself.  Just these past couple of days, I'm feeling less fatigued and my energy is coming back.  I thought because of my age ,52,years old, it was taking me a little longer to recover but from what I'm reading, it's not  unusual to feel fatigued for a little while after. I would check back with your Dr. about exercising.  I was told to take it easy for a few days and  see how I felt.  I'm just going to take a daily one mile walk for a few days and gradually build up to my regular 3 mile walk.  I think it makes sense not to push too much since our hearts have been through a lot of poking and prodding. I'm glad you're doing well!
Betty

[CNickels77]

Hi Betty,

Thanks for the response.  Looks like we were going through the same thing at about the same time.  Did your ablation go well?  My doctor seems to think that mine was successful but noted that you can't be sure until some time passes.

Prior to going in for the ablation, my expectation was that I  would be back up and around after a couple of days.  I was a little off base.  Yesterday and today have been good days where I've been feeling back to my old self.  I think I will start walking this weekend but not get back fully for another couple of weeks.

Are you getting any weird heart beats?  I've gotten a couple that just seem to get shorted out which I believe has to be a good sign.

Hope all is going well!

[Val46]

I had my ablation done on Aug 5.  I was having over 10000 pvc's per day.  The ablation was successful, but I have been having chest pain and burning since the procedure.  I was awake when he started to ablate and he didn't start the fentanol (pain killer) until AFTER the procedure started, so I was in agony while he ablated for three minutes.  I continue to have burning.  Did you have the burning sensation?  What does your pain feel like?  How far out are you from the procedure?    Also I am in my mid fortys and wondered what your aprox. age is.  I suppose that could make a difference.  I was very fit before the procedure, and am having trouble walking.  It causes pain.  Thanks for your info.  Val

[mabebesc]

I am 52 years old and thought maybe that why I was feeling so tired after the ablation. I have had the burning sensation too in my chest which I'm trying to manage with Advil. I had my ablation done on Aug. 4th. Mine feels like an occasional mild burning that seems to come and go,  I can pretty much ignore it although it can be slightly annoying, I'm sure it will lessen as time goes by.
Betty

[CNickels77]

Hey Val,

I had my ablation on August 6th and am 27 y/o.  I can't believe that you were awake when they began the ablation.  I was knocked out before the electrophysiologist even was in the room and didn't wake up until I was back in my hospital room.

As for the burning sensation, I don't really have any of that.  Occassionally, I'll get a mild shooting pain around my heart area but is subsides within a few minutes.  I just notice that I am more fatigued than usual.  I am physically fit but find certain activities harder than they had been.  However, that is subsiding as time goes on.

We might have had different ablations, I had AV nodal reentry, but I would contact your doctor if you are having trouble walking.  It's been over a week now for both of us, and I would think that you should be back up on your feet at least.  What did your Doctor indicate as a recovery period?

[mickey32501]

i had an ablation on the 16th of march..i went into surgery at6:15 am and they didnt finish with me till quater till 4:that evening..im 31 years old and my heart rate goes up into the 150 and 160s...they had burned me 45 times and could of burned alot more but they said if they got any closer to my heart i would of needed a pace maker....so they stoped..i spent the night in the hospital...im home now and im so short of breath im tired i feel ,sharp stabbing pains in my chest that althought they arent permenant, when they come there enough to nock u out or want to vomit.....i feel lke i have been crushed between two walls..it hurts and im really uncomfortable...is this normal..i read all your poasts and i see it takes weeks and or months to have some relief..honestly i was so used to my heart rate being so high i just kinda delt with it..im not used to this discomfort and i dont know if i can get used to this....

[ireneo]

Yes, it's normal to feel tired and achy after an ablation. I've had 3 done and each time was a bit different but yes, I had that deep ache in my chest. Remember what they've done in there. It takes months to heal inside. The ache should ease up in a week or two. With so many zaps to your heart, I'd expect a couple weeks for you.

Don't be surprised if your rhythm still acts up a little now and then. You may feel like you're going into tachy and then it stops within seconds. A bit nerve wracking but it's all part of the process. The heart is quite irritated. The good news is it won't last forever.

[LBBBguy]

Yeah, 45 burns is a lot. Just take it easy and make sure you communicate with your doctor any concerns just to be sure. You just had your procedure a couple of days ago, so I think it's totally normal to be tired and achy, but what you're describing shouldn't last too long. More typical are much more subtle residual symptoms that take weeks or months to heal. But again, when in doubt, don't hesitate at all to call your doctor.

[richie633]

hi everyone, I come straight to the point. My wife 2B she is Ukrainian.She works in a hospital there. she and her son still live in Ukraine. Just found out that son 16 this month has to have a catheter ablation but my Tanya and I want him to have the operation in this country. As she puts it there is lack of exp in such operations there. They are both my life. I have an idea how much it would cost privately 7-9 thousand.
do any one know who I can talk to for advice, one to one. I live in Sunderland If I have to borrow and go privately I will, just want him better. Any assitance would be sincerely appreciated. Richie+Tanya and our Taras
MANY THANKS!!

[feebz25]

hi im 25 y/o i just had my first catheter ablation done 7 days ago for SVT. i had to be awake during the procedure and it did hurt, not excruciating pain but it hurt. my heart was burned 22 times, and they said it was a successful procedure for me. but the next day my heart kept racing it was scary, was about 150-180 bpm, they even gave me adenosine to slow it down. the cardiologist thought it was SVT but they figured out it was Sinus Tacchycardia or something, a normal fast heart rate....since then sometimes i feel my heart fluttering here and there sometimes out of breath but it last for a very short minute or so. ive been feeling very exhausted everyday so far, and ive been given medication to slow my heart rate down, called a beta-blocker. sometimes im scared but other times im just fine. the doc said it could be from the adrenaline, and me being dehydrated cuz i had to fast and i starved for 2 days and was waterless!! so when my stomach is empty my heart feels fluttery, does go away with eating or drinking water, i think its weird......im wondering if this is all normal????  right after  the procedure my chest was burning for a few hours, i don't feel that no more. but sometimes feel my heart skips a beat or two, but it goes away fast!

[Mom2four85]

completely normal - your heart's been through trauma and it may take some time to heal - some of us depending on what was done; can take up to 6 months for it to completely heal and the full effects of an ablation to work

take it easy and let yourself heal and try not to be too anxious

[Carole1226]

I had a Cardiac Ablation several months ago. My PVC's were occurring in a running sequence which would make me nauseas, dizzy and at times out of breath. The doc said I had five locations where they were producing and was able to burn two of them, but couldn't get to the other three. I don't get the running sequence any longer now I just get this flip flop sensation in my chest. Even though those drive me crazy the worse is I get really dizzy when they hit. My heart starts flip flopping and my head feels like someone is shaking it. Also I get this pain under the left breast.  Anyone else have any similar effects?  

[Machados_patient]

I originally posted this to another discussion, but I think it belongs here...

I have been suffering from bouts of PSVT since I was seven years old. I'm now 46.  But, I didn't know exactly what it was until late 2007 when for the first time in 36 years an episode lasted long enough for me to get an EKG.  My grandfather also suffered from SVT episodes, but he died of lung cancer from chain smoking at the age of 84, so I feared smoking far more than the SVT.

In March of this year, I decided to take the EKG printout to the EP I had seen about 6 years ago.  He took one look at it and said, "You've got AVNRT, and you need an ablation."  I searched the Internet, found this message board, read dozens of posts, and decided, well, it's time to schedule the RF ablation.

My EP/surgeon/anesthesiologist is Dr. Machado of Providence Hospital in Southfield, MI.  He is well respected in this area, and does about 6 ablation procedures per week.

I had the RFA on April 14, 2010.  It took 3 hours.  Just prior to the procedure, one of the surgical team came to the prep room to talk to me.  I told them, you know, I never get these attacks from being scared or angry.  When I was younger, it always happened when I was happy, excited, or elated.  Then, when I made a downward movement, BAM, my heart rate would jump to 200 bpm with a quivery feeling at first, later resolving to must a fast, hard beat.  This would last anywhere from a few seconds to half an hour.  Vagal maneuvers never worked.  It would just go through this sequence, and just return to normal as suddenly as it started.  Recently, it has come on spontaneously, from road vibrations while driving, intestinal gas moving around, or just out of the blue.  I've had many years to make observations about my problem, and one thing I tried to tell them was that after having a fast heart rate, for whatever reason, I would feel great.  And, I would be for all practical purposes, immune from an attack for several days.  (I used to run a couple of miles per day back in high school, and this seemed to prevent attacks.)

When they first inserted the electrodes, the SVT started.  Makes sense to me since there seemed to be a physical sensitivity.  But then, for the next three hours, they tried and tried and tried to reproduce the condition.  Also makes sense to me since my own observations were that after a fast rate, the problem would not come back.  It was soon apparent that I did NOT in fact AVNRT.  That would be too simple.  I turns out, I has "Automatic Atrial Tachycardia" (AAT).  Dr. Machado seemed confident that he was eventually able to induce the arrhythmia, able to find the source for the signal, the cells that were going rogue and taking over, and ablate the area.  But I had my doubts.  I'm sure he found something, but I'm not sure he found it all.

The procedure itself went much like many others have described.  I was not awake for most of it, however, I was awake for some parts.  Sometimes, in order to induce the arrhythmia, there is no way around it, you can't be heavily sedated.  I remember when the mapping electrodes were inserted in the vein in my right groin area and when they reached my heart.  I remember the fast heart rate, and some of the pacing procedure.   Post procedure problems were mostly due to the puncture wounds in my for the catheters, and a huge bruise that went half way down to my knee.  Not really a big deal since bruises will heal.  About 18 hours after the RFA, I had a few hours of what-the-hell-was-that? heartbeats.  I don't know if the were PVCs or PACs or what.  For the most part, those have been much less frequent than the day after, but more frequent than prior to the procedure.

It wasn't fun and I wouldn't recommend doing it without good cause.  But if there is good cause and your EP recommends it, don't hesitate.

Now for the more discouraging problems.  My heart rate prior to the RFA was about 100 bpm.  I was taking 50mg of atenolol per day, and 2400mg of fish oil (it's said to reduce the heart rate by a couple percent).  On both of these, my heart rate would be in the 60's.  Last night was my 17th day post procedure.  After feeling quite recovered, spending a weekend in Las Vegas, working all day pushing a lawn mower, hacking away at overgrown brush at the back of my property, I sat down to watch some TV before going to bed.  At 11 p.m. I had what I could only describe as an SVT attack.  It only lasted a couple of seconds.  When my wife checked my pulse, she said it was about 124 bpm.  My blood pressure was also somewhat elevated.  Again tonight at about 8:30, I had another one.  It was almost like it was trying to go into the full-blown SVT mode, but it didn't quite get there.

I still have to take the atenolol and the fish oil.  I don't know how the fast heart rate figures in to my problems.  Is it a separate issue, or is it related.  I will be going back to Dr. Machado for a follow-up on Tuesday.

I will post a follow-up several months from now for anyone interested in knowing how things turn out.  I noticed that most people seem to be very prolific when they are searching for info and prior to their procedure, but few return to say how things went after a year, unless their problem comes back.

Update 5/4/10

I went to my follow-up visit with my EP.  He said that if the ablation was successful, then it would be from the moment he finished.  However, some comments I've read here lead me to believe that it may take several weeks to know for sure since the ablated sites take time to heal.  I have the Dr.'s report.  I don't understand some parts of it.  It seems that he actually did 7 ablations, not the "2 or 3" that he told us while I was in recovery.  Maybe he meant "2 or three areas" and they didn't the ablation in the same area more than once.  He didn't go through the report with me (I got it just before I left his office today), but it looks like I had an arrhythmia AFTER the catheters were removed!  to me, this means that the ablation was NOT successful.  Maybe I don't understand the meaning of the notes.

They sent me home with an event monitor.  Curious device this event monitor.  It can only store 2 events, then I have to empty it by sending the data over a phone.  And, not just any phone.  It can't be a cell phone.  I was thinking I could record the output, and play them back at my convenience.

So, now I'm swilling caffeinated beverages and chocolate bars to see if I can cause another "episode" for the event monitor.

[littlegreenman1]

I had ablation yesterday. My pulse is normal, as I generally do not get episodes when I'm not doing cardio exercise.  They had to burn several spots on me, and the surgery took 7 hours. I'm sore. Have bruises on one of the entry marks in my leg. Tired. Napping every couple hrs, as I didn't sleep during my one night stay in the hospital.

Wost part: Laying flat from 3 - 9 PM. My back just ACHED.  Much better @ 9 when I could get up and walk. Catheter = ouch (I'm a 41 y.o. male). Urine is slightly bloody. I have a cough and sore throat from the intubation. Have spotted some very red blood.  Just touches.

I am to resume unrestricted physical activity in 2 weeks, which for me, means starting training for the Memphis St. Jude Marathon. Every thing I've read here is horror show: multiple ablations, complications... I don't know how I'll roll, but I'll post the GOOD, bad, and ugly.

[littlegreenman1]

OK... 3 days out.  I feel fine. Going to work tomorrow. (white collar job)

I feel like I could run, right now.  I feel like that would be a stupid thing to do, but I think I could do it... so 11 days to go.

I am a drummer and will be drumming a 4 hour rock show @ +9 days.

[littlegreenman1]

I've just opted to do a journal on this recovery.  

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/index/1398166?personal_page_id=1681811

So far, so good... truth comes out this Thursday.

[eledimarc]

Ive just had ablation yesterdday sept 3rd i was trying to find out if all this soreness is normal my throat is so sore it kills me when I cough. I spent the night in the hospital had an episode of 150 beats a minute last nght i was so discussed because i thought this was going to stop this I am on meds now hoping this ablation was a success I doubt it after last night anyone have these symptoms after ablation. I was sent home with an event monitor I'm tired and so sore.  

[southerngirly]

I had the ablation done on 09/08/10, so far i am experiencing mild child pain, a few palpatations but I think at this point is normal. I read you can still have some palpatations right after the ablation. I seem tired alot and nap every day, I go back to work tomorrow which is a stand up job, gonna be hard to nap on the job LOL.

[SDalb]

eledimarc, I just had a pulmonary vein isolation ablation on 8/31.  I had 5 episodes of afib  the first week after the procedure.  My throat was also very sore from the tube they put down the throat.  This last weekend, had to go to er and they shocked me back to normal rhythm.  Saw my cardiologist Monday and he said it is not afib or a flutter but atrial tachycardia.  He changed my meds for that.  So yes, what your experiencing is not unusual.  So hang in there and give it some time.

[littlegreenman1]

Day +50. I had a cold ( I think it's over now ) was on pseudofed the whole time. Ran SUPER hard... pulse = solid.

Post ablation experience =  fixed.

[valsvet]

Had catheter ablation for AFib on October 6th. Felt great for a few days - 72-74 steady rate. This morning woke up feeling my heart is racing, it was 120, though, there were no arrhythmia. Tonight it's fast again (115) and pretty steady. I guess it's normal. I have Verapamil but don't want to take before my doctor's (cardiologist) appointment tomorrow.