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Cardiac Ablation - side effects

Help!  My mom had cardiac ablation on Monday - was told it was a text book procedure - everything went well.  Her blood pressure has been good and her hart rate has been in the 70s no spikes in heart rate since procedure.  However, after 6 hours of resting in the hospital - she started to get burning pain in her chest and back.  Pain so severe she was given vicodin and three shots of morphine.  Today, is Wednesday - The pain is gone but she seems like she is on her death bed.  She was released from the hospital this morning but she has no appetite- can't get her to eat much - and she is beyond fatiqued.  I am extremely frustrated.  Any thoughts???


This discussion is related to PROBLEMS AFTER CARDIAC ABLATION.
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Avatar universal
When should the staple be removed in my groin after my cardiac ablation. I have a follow-up appt for 25th, I had ablation done 3rd
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Avatar universal
Yes I just had an abliation for the same thing as well where I had two pathways only supposed to have one. I was already in hosptial when I had mine but yes I was wiped out afterwards. I have noticed the sname thing that I am still having little episodes in my chest but not as bad. Does it ever need to be redone they froze mine.
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Avatar universal
Good Luck to you Missing out on life. Knowing that I have to have 3 to start with would freak me out and make me anxious also. I hope and pray all goes good for you. Maybe it was because they were a guessing game for the doctors. I don't know. I just feel they don't take people with pvc's seriously because as they have all said "they are benign and most people don't even feel them". But I find it more common then the doctor says people feel the pvc's. I just wish someone would listen and when we say we feel worse they try and help up and not make it sound like the surgery had nothing to do with it. Again, I hope all goes well for you. Please keep us posted. I know I felt better for about a week then they started getting worse daily God  Bless and Good Luck!
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13772346 tn?1431423286
I am having the ablation done Friday May 15,2015 but they said I may require more since I have 3 issues going on with my heart and each one requires a different surgery. I am 46 and have had 3 lung surgeries also . Reading these stories gives me anxiety but I want to have this done because right now I am just existing and not actually living . Even just to stand and do dishes , my heart rate stays about 150-160 and I have to stop several times and sit down because it makes me very short winded. I Pray for everyone here and Hope God eases their pain and gives the Doctors the knowledge they need to help these people with their issues.
I have worn the heart monitor twice now for a month each and my heart rate drops in the 40's and has been 240 so that is a big difference and I can not do the medicine because my blood pressure is too low so the surgery at this point is my only option and I just Pray that God guides my Doctor through this and Lays His Healing Hands Upon Me .....
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Avatar universal
I am a 41 yr old female. I have to say I have always had low blood pressure 90/50 or 80/40 which I was told isn't a problem it is high Bp that cause problems. WRONG! In Feb of 14 I was shoveling snow and thought I had a heart attack went to E.R. they did all the "test" said everything was fine. But the monitor showed bigeminy premature ventricular contractions or PVC's. Sent me home on a monitor and told me to follow up with MD. He said I am a 40 yr old healthy female and there is nothing to worry bout! That was Friday, on Monday I got a call saying I needed to see a cardiologist because I was having approx. 23,000 in 24 hrs. So I have seen 2 cardiologist the second putting me on meds that landed me back in the E.R again had all test, stress, echo, ekg, monitor and all "normal". I went to different ER and got new cardiologist who tried different meds, none worked, he did angiogram and that shows normal. I was unable to tolerate ANY meds because they dropped my Bp even more and my pulse into the 30's and 40's No one was concerned EVERY dr told me they are benign, everyone has them at sometime and most people don't feel them! I do feel them, the racing, flip flopping, throbbing, chest pain, tiredness, anxiety it is terrible. I went to Mayo in MN for a second opinion because they wanted to do an ablation and I was freaked out by having my "healthy heart" damaged. Mayo said I am a great candidate for surgery and it should help reduce if not take away my symptoms. I still waited a month until I couldn't take it anymore in Nov 14 I have my ablation, NO meds so I was awake for the 6 hr procedure. I felt better for about a week then the more I moved around and did the worse they got. I called the dr. He said I was scheduled for a follow up in Jan and he would see me then. During my visit my EP specialist told me that he said I might have to have it done again. I told him NO WAY!!!! He then told me my palpitations, anxiety, tiredness were NOT related to my PVC's and I should see a psychologist and get put on psych meds maybe that would help! I was very angry. If they were not related why was he so persistent on me doing the ablation again? Even if he took them all away according to him I would still have my "issues". I feel much worse after the ablation, more limited, increased anxiety and panic attacks, I no longer, work, drive, do chores, stay home along because of fear of something happening. The only thing they can say is go back to Mayo or have the surgery. I feel because most people don't feel them and according to the dr. they are not life threatening then they aren't worried about how I feel on a daily basis.
I read my EP report that stated he did surgery because of the pt symptoms palpitations, anxiety, throbbing and chest discomfort. The EKG shows my PVC's are in the same place they were when he did surgery and he offered me a second surgery which I declined. Then the next sentence was I believe her symptoms have nothing to do with her PVC's and he recommends a psychiatrist! Really? This is frustrating for me and for anyone else that has this as a problem. Because I will not do surgery my symptoms are no longer an issue. Oh also he wrote before my ablation that he described the benign nature of the PVC's and the only reason he is doing the procedure is due to my symptoms an for my quality of life. Well I guess now that my quality of life is worse it is less important.
I would also like to said that I am a RN was working 12 hr shifts 3-4 days a week, walking 5-7 miles a day uphills (as I walked the highway because I live in the country) cooking, pushing my lawn, doing daily chores. Now I  cant stand for more than 10 min due to my pulse racing or dropping to levels I need to go lay down! I say this because I want everyone to know when I speak to the doctor about my concerns and the longer it goes on the worse I get they just want to ignore the fact.
Last week I was hospitalized for chest and jaw pain. Spent 3 days in there all the test repeated. Told me they were normal and I could go home even though after 3 min on the treadmill I had 2 nurses holding me up to finish the test. Then I go for my dr. follow up and told me he was admitting me today and was going to do an angiogram on my first thing tomorrow morning. I was confused. He did the angiogram again no meds due to pule in low 40's and Bp 80/40. he told me nothing changed since last yr, I had to stay for 6 hrs then I could go home. He would see me in 18 months unless I need him sooner. So, I have lost all faith in all dr! It is sad but true, they don't listen to you or your symptoms and if you don't agree to do what they want you mise well forget it. I read where ppl on here had 2, 3, 4 NO WAY not me One was more than plenty. I said before I agreed to my 1st (and last) I am gonna do this I cant feel worse than what I do now. Boy was I wrong! I can and I do! So if the 1st one made me feel worse I can only imagine what more will do. I am not willing to take that risk. Good luck to all of you out there that are willing to do this again and give it another try. Thanks for letting me tell my story!
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Avatar universal
I had my ablation yesterday and I was totally awake for the whole thing. I did not receive any sedative at all. The only thing I got was the numbing of the groin area before the catheters were put in. I had mine done at the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI and the EP was a University of Michigan doctor. It was not a pleasant experience to say the least. I have had 2 heart caths done prior to this ablation and I would rather have another heart cath than another ablation. They brought on my SVT very easily which was not so bad since they never got my heart rate as high as I have had before during an episode. I felt the burning every time they ablated an area. The longer they ablated a certain area the longer the burning feeling. The worst part was when they gave me the adrenaline. They told me that I would feel like I just drank two pots of coffee to which I replied that I don't drink coffee, so they basically said that I would get the shakes and boy did I ever. While I was having the shakes they tried to bring on my SVT again and it was the worst feeling I have ever had. At one point it felt like I was being choked so I had to move my head back to try and make this feeling go away. Very unpleasant experience. The EP said that the ablation was a success at that I would not have to stay overnight. My procedure started around 7:30am and by 2:30pm I was on my way home. Today I do not have any pain in the groin area but I am tired and I do have chest pain and just kind of felt like crap all day. My heart seems to flutter (I have had this before I had the ablation) but no fast heart rates. I hope this was a success but only time will tell. I should mention that I was also diagnosed during my 1st heart cath in July 2013 with having Myocardial Bridging of the LAD. My 2nd heart cath in December 2013 was to make sure the bridge was not symptomatic because I was constantly having chest pain. It was not symptomatic which was good but I still have the chest pain. I will have to try and find out why I constantly have this chest pain. I have tried anti inflammatory meds because some doctors think it is chest wall or muscle related but they don't work at all. I hopefully will be feeling better in a few days after this latest procedure.
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Avatar universal
This is what you can expect from ablation:

You will get a sedative and will sleep through the procedure and when you wake up you will remember nothing of the procedure.  The procedure can take up to 5 hours, but it will feel like seconds to you.  Minimal pain and a bit of pressure in groin area (both sides) and you will not be able to sit up or walk for upto 6 hours.  You will stay for the night and be discharged in the morning.  If you take bloodthinners, you will need more observation post-op.  At your age I would suspect that you might have high bloodpressure and they will have to make sure that your vitals are normal before discharging you.  The groin area is normally a bit bruised but not very painful.  After about 7 days later you will not even know you had the procedure done.

There are risks with this procedure that they can burn of your normal electrical pathway and then you'll need a pacemaker.  Some people also develop Pericarditis post-op, but that is not as bad as it sounds as the treatment for that is Asprin and it normally goes away after about 24hrs.

I can remember waking up with this perfect, soft heart beat and never had SVT attacks again.  Definitely worth it!

I don't know where you had your ablation but mine was done in Cleveland Ohio and I was sedated but awake and could watch everything. I was in surgery for 7 hours and could have run up to 10. I had SVT and was admitted to ER for a heart rate over 200 where they restarted my heart. My SVT happening when driving was causing me to get dizzy where I felt I would almost pass out. Figured it was time to get it done before I killed myself or someone else. So...it all depends how bad your heart is and where you are having it done.
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Avatar universal
This is what you can expect from ablation:

You will get a sedative and will sleep through the procedure and when you wake up you will remember nothing of the procedure.  The procedure can take up to 5 hours, but it will feel like seconds to you.  Minimal pain and a bit of pressure in groin area (both sides) and you will not be able to sit up or walk for upto 6 hours.  You will stay for the night and be discharged in the morning.  If you take bloodthinners, you will need more observation post-op.  At your age I would suspect that you might have high bloodpressure and they will have to make sure that your vitals are normal before discharging you.  The groin area is normally a bit bruised but not very painful.  After about 7 days later you will not even know you had the procedure done.

There are risks with this procedure that they can burn of your normal electrical pathway and then you'll need a pacemaker.  Some people also develop Pericarditis post-op, but that is not as bad as it sounds as the treatment for that is Asprin and it normally goes away after about 24hrs.

I can remember waking up with this perfect, soft heart beat and never had SVT attacks again.  Definitely worth it!

I don't know where you had your ablation but mine was done in Cleveland Ohio and I was sedated but awake and could watch everything. I was in surgery for 7 hours and could have run up to 10. I had SVT and was admitted to ER for a heart rate over 200 where they restarted my heart. My SVT happening when driving was causing me to get dizzy where I felt I would almost pass out. Figured it was time to get it done before I killed myself or someone else. So...it all depends how bad your heart is and where you are having it done.
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theywant to domy mother abrasion and she has a leaking valve I dont ghank its going to correct problem
Avatar universal
I had an ablation procedure done on 31 October 2012 about a week later I had a flu injection soon after that I have had crucial pain going around by body travelling from my right lrg up into my arm and neck and then down the other leg and hands, I have not been able to sleep for several weeks now becaus of the pain have been up to A & E twice had an ambulane out once because the pain was unbearable had morphin injection did not touch it and four weeks later I am still suffering and not being able to carry out my every day duties.  Doctors dont know what the pain is and I am on Co-Codramol for the pain I am now waiting to see a Rhumatalogist which is going to take up to 8 weeks.  Doctors say it is nothing to do with the op I had but I never suffered with Arthritis before.  Has any body else suffered in the same way.
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Avatar universal
I just had my second ablation for long runs of Bigemy and trigemny ect.. I was kept over night after being sedated for to long. It was supposed to be a 4 hour procedure ended up being 6 almost 7. I was in the PACU when my O2 started to drop and had to get oxygen. I dont remember any of it I was still sedated and out of it.

I went home and 2 days later was readmited with chest pressure and SOB with dizziness.. They checked for a PE and a clot nothing. Then checked to make sure I didnt have any fluid build up in my heart and lungs. Only finding was high blood pressure for unknown reason my O2 would drop from 100 to 94 when walking and elevated heart enzymes. I was dischaged after 24 hours and told it was normal after an ablation to feel like this.

I was going though my discharge paperwork and it says I had NSTEMI secondary to Catheter ablation.. I looked this up because I had never heard of it and it says its Non ST Elevated Myocardial Infaction.. A heart attack.. How could they not tell me this..  
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Avatar universal
My mom had heart ablation about a month ago. The doctor found 3 spots in her heart that needed treatment. Two on the right side and one on the left side. The doctor was able to repair the right side, but the equipment broke down before he could do the left side. Once the equipment was repaired her blood pressure was very low, so they had to stop the procedure. Now she is worse then she was before the ablation. She has a heavy pressure in her chest and she is exhusted. Moving from one room to the other is a chore and she is dizzy all the time. Has anyone experienced this?
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1 Comments
Hi

I feel it too..dizzy all the time and tightness in chest..dull chest pain also but just few times..my ablation was last week 21 may 2016..i suffer lot of pvc and doc said my spot a bit difficult to be reached but thank God they can ablate it..so how is your mom's condition ?
Avatar universal
I had the cryotherapy catheter ablation on JUne 20, 2012.  I have had numerous things to occur since the procedure...woke up with the worse headache ever, blurred vision daily which lasted about 8 days, that is better now I have this pressue behid the sternum and pain all the way around me...up into my jaws.  I went to the ER this morning as I really thought I was going to die,,,all the cardiac stuff was normal, but something is wrong, they seem to think it esophageal, could be but it hurts so bad.  I am 53 and have to work...anyone experience this....help please I don't know what to do.
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Avatar universal
I have WPW since birth and I am 51 years old. I played every sport and never let WPW hold me back. My episodes would just occur randomly at anytime without warning. Whenever I had a bad episode-random irregular arrythmia, I was useless,  just laid in bed for hours or days. I had the cardiac ablation procedure done in 1997 at Long Island Jewish Hospital and was in the OR for about 6 hours. Even though I was given anesthsia I could feel the burning in my heart during the procedure. My initial side affects were drowsiness and some discomfort in my groin area.  The doctor said that becasue I was very active helped me recover fast. Anyway I was almost 100% cured of WPW for over 15 years. I would have an occasional flutter but I could ride my bike for 3hrs, play basketball for over 3 hours and not have any episodes. The procedure did change my life for those 15 years. Fast forward to 2012 I have stepped up my exorcise routine and workout for an hour twice a day. I have started having arrythmia attacks again, mostly shot bursts - seconds in nature. A few have lasted over 30 minutes and those are the ones that concern me. These current episodes are different that what I had prior to abalation. My pre-abalation episodes were debilitaiting and very irregular - fast, slow, slow, fast, and lasted for long durations. So I am going back to the cardioligists and find out what has changed. I will keep you'll posted. But please do your homework and try and find the best dr. even if you have to travel out of state.
Kev
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your help. Really appreciate your spending time replying. I am very new to this community, just joined and am really looking for some answers and also people like-minded and 'soul mates' so to speak, sharing with me their problems.
I need to consider another ablation soon by this month perhaps as my arrhythmia is getting more frequent. This will be my 4th ablation and I am worried about the post ablation risks. I have an implanted ICD due to history of VT and a chain of ops that I don't know where to begin...In any case, thank you again for your assistance to allay my fears. I am taking a few more days to write down my concerns before I see my EP again with questions that I will ask before I take the plunge to do the ablation. It is for a rare problem, Junctional ectopic tachycardia. Any other thing that you might want to add is welcome. Many thanks.
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329165 tn?1515471990
Hi there,

This is what you can expect from ablation:

You will get a sedative and will sleep through the procedure and when you wake up you will remember nothing of the procedure.  The procedure can take up to 5 hours, but it will feel like seconds to you.  Minimal pain and a bit of pressure in groin area (both sides) and you will not be able to sit up or walk for upto 6 hours.  You will stay for the night and be discharged in the morning.  If you take bloodthinners, you will need more observation post-op.  At your age I would suspect that you might have high bloodpressure and they will have to make sure that your vitals are normal before discharging you.  The groin area is normally a bit bruised but not very painful.  After about 7 days later you will not even know you had the procedure done.

There are risks with this procedure that they can burn of your normal electrical pathway and then you'll need a pacemaker.  Some people also develop Pericarditis post-op, but that is not as bad as it sounds as the treatment for that is Asprin and it normally goes away after about 24hrs.

I can remember waking up with this perfect, soft heart beat and never had SVT attacks again.  Definitely worth it!

Wishing you a very good outcome and speedy recovery.
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1 Comments
I had a cardiac ablation 2 weeks ago.  I was aware the whole time.  I felt when they stopped my heart and involuntarily moaned, as it felt like dying.  The main pain for me, though, was that the doctor kept leaning on my bad leg the whole procedure. I had done physical therapy for 7 weeks to strengthen the muscles around my right knee after a dislocation (it is a replacement, and the doc was trying to avoid re-replacing it).  It was in good shape until the cardiologist leaned on it for over 3 hours.  I tried to ask him to get off it, but each time I tried to speak, they gave me more drugs, so I was incoherent.  But anyway, I felt pretty good the next day after the procedure.  Went to my nieces wedding 10 days after the procedure, and while I didn't dance, I felt up to visiting with relatives I seldom see and enjoying watching others dance. But now, 17 days after the procedure, I am exhausted, somewhat dizzy, and I do feel skipped beats fairly frequently.  He put me on half the dose of beta blocker I was previously on.  Don't know if that has anything to do with the way I feel or not.  It just seems weird that I feel worse now than even the day after the procedure.  Anybody else get worse instead of better?
Avatar universal
It's good to have read your positive post regarding your ablation results. I had 3 so far and am going to do my 4th soon. Each one is due to different arrhythmia different areas. I am really afraid of the apparent side effects that one might face post ablation esp. when one gets on with age. I am 60 and have had 3 ablations in a space of 12 yrs and an ICD for 8 yrs.
Wonder if you could give any advice or suggestion as to how I should face this next challenge....I am at a dilemma.
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329165 tn?1515471990
.Hi there,

I had SVT attacks and had successful Cardiac Ablation in 2007.  The cause of PSVT is normally an extra AV node and with ablation the Electrophysiologist does some Mapping, find the abnormal area and ablate or destroy it!

There are risks of failure or errors that can slip in, just make sure that you get it done by an Electrophysiologist and not a normal Cardiologist.  The Electro-doc specializes in the electrical pathways of the heart and the normal Cardio can do "plumbing and valves".

I have been SVT free since that day!  life is good :)
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Avatar universal
I am so sad to hear of all the problems from the ablations that some of you have. I have had SVT since I was 8 yrs old. I am now 55. I have learned to just live with it even though the doctor I went to wanted me to do the ablation.  He is the expert for this in my town but I know there are risks and I feel he's trying to make money off of me.  My sister also has SVT and wants to have the ablation even thought she's only had it 3 times.(same doctor)  I went to a doctor presentation on palpatations and this doctor said that ablation should only be done if SVT interupts you daily life and medicine doesn't work because once the electrical part is burned off, it can't be replaced.  Then it may have to be done again with more being burned off.  I feel I have made the right decision to hold off esp after reading this blog.  God help all of you heal.
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Avatar universal
TO: abwilli78
Wow, I have been searching on here for two days, and I finally found someone else having the same issue. My eleven year old just had his cardiac ablation last friday, they couldn't make it happen, so unfortunatly it didn't work. BUT, they  also made and error and told us they (1) the wrong size cathader in, and (2) he accidentaly entered the artery instead of the vein. So.. for the rest of the day his right foot was ice cold, they could only get a pulse using a dopler. he was in alot of pain both from the site, and his foot, teh whole time we were in the hospital, yet they release him anyway, saying they were sure it would be fine.. that as long as there was some blood flow it would be ok. Well...3 days later, he is still in a ton of pain, foot has better color and all, but he can bearly walk on it and he gets shooting pains, He has also complained of it being cold and feeling like it is wet.
I am so scared this could be something worse. I am going to call in tomorrow, but I have a feeling tehy are going to tell me the same thing again...It is so frustrating!!!  I am curious about how you are doing and if you found any relief. Thanks, Crystal
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Avatar universal
I had ablation surgery last December for A-fib.  Procedure took about 8 hours and by March I was off all my heart meds.  I feel great except that when I do anything the least bit strenuous, I get so out of breath. Have been trying to hike with my husband and he has to stop several times and wait for me to catch my breath when we're climbing.  But apart from that I've had no issues whatsoever and am thrilled with the results as I could not tolerate the meds they had me on before. I'm so sorry to hear about these serious issues some of you are dealing with.  If you're looking at a repeat procedure, I'd advise you to find a different doctor.
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Avatar universal
Had my 3rd ablation done June 23rd 2011. It was a success, i had a difficult pathway behind the heart. My question is i still have chest discomfort and a few PVC'S. Dr. said not to worry because the ablation in very invasive and i will have side effects for the next 3 months sometimes up to a year.
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Avatar universal
I was suggested an ablation, I am 48.  I decided not to do it.  To me, any time you deal with your heart you are at risk.  Doctors do not know everything so when I read your replies I believe you.  Good site is heartracing.com explains risks and benefits in detail.  If I were yal I would get a second opinion, find a good doctor who listens.  Don't let ANY doctor intimidate you!!!  I have worked with doctors for years and they are only human.  There are okay doctors, greedy doctors and great doctors, keep looking even if you have to drive further.  I have driven a 300 mile distant for some specialists and it is worth it.  I understand why you did the ablation, I live with SVT.  I want the surgery but am too unsure right now.  I feel for all of you who have problems with this.  You are all in my prayers because you deserve it.
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Avatar universal
Sound like Pulmonary Vein Stenosis from the ablation: http://adventuresincardiology.com
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Avatar universal
I had an ablation for incessant PSVT in June 2010. It's been four months. I still have PACs,  tachycardia and episodes of PSVT. They are not as bad as before the ablation but still happening.

For the first 2 months after I couldn't do a thing. My heart would get stressed out, pound and get tachy from moving on the couch. I had trouble just breathing. Felt like I was suffocating laying still. It was torture. I could barely go to the bathroom w/o passing out. (I was not like this before the ablation.) I was so miserable I thought I was going to die and I was okay with that.

Everyone is different when it comes to ablations. The side effects are dependent on where the ablation was done, how many burns were made, what condition your heart was in before, your age, etc.

The only definitive thing I can say:   ablations are not a walk in the park. You will have symptoms, some of them very unpleasant for MONTHS afterwards.  
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