Catheter Ablation: Opinions/Experience?

[katiev]

"Catheter ablation is a procedure used to selectively destroy areas of the heart that are causing a heart rhythm problem. During this procedure, thin, flexible wires are inserted into a blood vessel in the thigh, groin, neck, or elbow and threaded up through the blood vessel and into the heart under X-ray guidance. Through these wires, radio waves can be delivered to your heart muscle at the site of the “short circuit.” The radio waves (radiofrequency energy) cause a tiny area of heart muscle to be heated and selectively destroyed (ablated), thereby curing your heart rhythm problem."
This is what I'm going to see my cardiologist about tomorrow morning -- it's one of two treatment options that we're going to discuss.
Have any of you had this procedure done? Or know someone who did?

 

[reefkprz]

Good luck. I dont have anything constructive to add, but I wanted to wish you luck.

 

[katiev]

Thank you. It sounds rather painful, but this would be a one time thing: cured. Either that, or I'll be taking a pill everyday for the rest of my life...considering I'm only 19 years old, that sure sounds like a long time.

 

[reefreak29]

Originally Posted by katiev
Thank you. It sounds rather painful, but this would be a one time thing: cured. Either that, or I'll be taking a pill everyday for the rest of my life...considering I'm only 19 years old, that sure sounds like a long time.
well i had a stress test 2 years ago because once in a while my heart will flutter and ill get dizzy, they found a heart arithmia and said they could do that procedure. from what i understand they go tthrue the leg to your heart inject u with adrenaline to cause the arithmia then zap that area so it doesnt happen again.
i never went thue with it but the procedure sounded harmless

 

[katiev]

Yup, that's basically what happens. After seeing the cardiologist, I've decided to do the ablation procedure. The success rate is well over 90%, and there are minimal risks involved. So on May 1st I'm scheduled to arrive at the hospital at 6AM, the procedure starts at 8AM, and I'll be leaving around 4PM. I'm not worried in the least amount. Before the procedure, he'll give me something similar to

[hr]
to calm me down, then during the procedure he'll shoot me full of adrenaline, find the area that's causing the problems, and destroy that heart tissue. No anaesthesia or anything.

 

[saltn00b]

hi katiev i replied in your other thread where you mentioned this.
but i had it done years ago, to fix WPW, Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome. is that you have, it sounds like it.
if you do, WPW is the only fully curable / treatable heart condition to have , so you are lucky. one in ten people have WPW, and one in ten of THOSE people never have any symptoms, the only reason i knew i had it was cause i had a EKG taken for generic pre-college health check, and EKG can sniff them out easily.
with ablations, the younger you are, the easier it is on you and better chance of success. i had it done when i was 17-18, and you being 19 is a huge plus for you. as you get older , the veins/ arteries become less elastic.
i was knocked out cold and when i woke up hours and hours later everything was fine, no pain. you arent allowed to eat before hand, and when you wake up it will be something close to 18-24 hours you will have gone without food, so you will be quite hungry. this may get a little graphic...but I remember the first thing i did was go to pee, i had to roll the saline/ med drip unit with me. mid - pee i felt a warm sensation on my left foot, and i thought to myself "i cant be peeing on my leg, wtf?!" and what had happened was that the entrance site to the leg artery, opened up and bled a little bit. sort of scary at first but it was nothing. on the way home from the hospital, the top of my knee to halfway up my leg felt like pins and needles. i told my mom, who then freaked out, and called the doc. turns out some blood escaped and pooled in a pocket, sort of like a black and blue. it too was normal and would go away quickly.
also dont be surprised when you wake up that most of your pubes are shaved, they need to do that to clean the entry sites.
my friend also had WPW and went in for the procedure. his experience was vastly different because he was afraid to be put under and thought it would be cool to be awake for it. it turned out to be the most horrificly painful experiences of his life, and in the end , they failed. so now he has to go back in and get it down and he wont venture near a hospital because of his newfound hatred and fear of them and doctors.

 

[katiev]

Thanks for you're input. It makes me feel better to hear from other people who've had it done. I don't have WPW, I have superventricular tachycardia. Much like WPW, most people don't notice it (and if they do, it's not a big deal and they can either ignore it or take

[hr]
for it) -- but I definitely do! Recently, I had to go the emergency room when my heartrate went from a normal 70bpm to 190bpm, while I was just relaxing on my couch and watching a movie. It was at that rate for almost an hour, before I got to the hospital and they pumped me full of adenosine. It was really frightening. I'd had episodes similar, but not that bad before. I could NOT control my heartrate whatsoever, and trying to only made my heart more jumpy.
My cardiologist is an expert on the ablation procedure, and people come from all over to have him and his fellow cardiologists at the clinic perform the procedure. It's an outpatient procedure, and I won't even be put under for it, although I'll take what is pretty much just

[hr]
prior to the procedure to calm me down; they'll numb their area in my groin where the catheter and wiring will be put in, but I'll be fully conscious for it. He said at the most, I'll feel a slight burning sensation across my chest when he's actually destroying the heart tissue.
My cardiologist is a really nice, intelligent man; the first thing he said when he walked in was, "So, what heck are YOU doing here? Didn't you notice? All those people out there in the waiting room are practically dinosaurs!" Basically, he said it's good that I'm getting the procedure done now when I am only 19 and still real tough.

 

[socal57che]

My neighbor had it done a couple years ago for same condition as you. Bruised and sore at entry site, but out of hospital in just a couple days. She said it wasn't nearly as bad as the docs made it sound. Will say a prayer for you and the doc if you don't mind.

 

[katiev]

Thank you, socal -- I'm an atheist, but I definitely appreciate being in your thoughts and wouldn't mind a prayer being said at all.

 

[socal57che]

Originally Posted by katiev
Thank you, socal -- I'm an atheist, but I definitely appreciate being in your thoughts and wouldn't mind a prayer being said at all.
That's good cuz you're too late.

 

[katiev]

UPDATE:
I had the procedure done yesterday. I arrived at the hospital at 6AM so they could get me all set up with an IV and heart monitor. They also gave me what was basically a

[hr]
to relax me. The procedure started at 8AM, and was finished at 10AM. After that, they wheeled me back to the recovery room and removed the catheters from the veins. I'm REALLY glad I didn't see the catheters before they put them in -- I would have flipped! They were about as long and thick as a Bic pen, not including the part that stuck out. They numbed the area before insertion, so I didn't feel them going in -- but I sure felt them coming out! After the catheters were taken out, I had to lay still with compresses on the veins for five hours. Hey, at least they fed me (and hospital food has definitely improved -- I had this really tasty vanilla custard, whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, and sliced pears...yum!). It was fairly painful, but I'm just glad it's over and I don't have to worry about my heart anymore. I walk kind of funny because I'm swollen and tender, and every once in awhile I'll feel a sharp burning in my chest -- but I'm fine other than that, and the burning will only last a few days.
Thank you to those of you who wished me well! The procedure was successful.

 

[renogaw]

very glad everything is ok!

 

[saltn00b]

glad it went well - good thing you arent too squeemish cause you were awake

 

[mimzy]

wow!! congratulations!!! what an incredible story - science is some serious power. Hope you have a quick and uneventful healing.

 

[katiev]

Thanks, everyone.
Yes, medical science is definitely amazing. It was pretty painful during the procedure, but there was someone standing by my head the whole time asking me if I was comfortable, too hot/cold, needed more pain medicine, etc. The hospital staff was wonderful and I thanked them all profusely.

 

[socal57che]

Glad to hear you are doing well.

 

[atommik]

Had it done Monday, was a success so far, very easy ordeal, would be happy to answer any questions