so many PAC/PVCs. Is ablation the answer?

[rmontgom21740]

Hello everyone.  I have suffered with PAC/PVCs for many years.  I’m 45 and had them since I’ve been 19.  As we all know, they come and go throughout your life for many different reasons.  I have never been able to put my finger on what really causes it.  Is it Stress, foods, sleep, etc…. who really knows.  It seems as I get older, the flutter gets worse.  I had a recent episode that landed me in the ER…. It seemed like every beat was a PAC/PVC which went on for hours.  I finally went to the ER to make sure it wasn’t something different.  I was told it was PAC/PVCs and sent home only to follow up with the PCP.  I also went to the Cleveland Clinic and was told that an ablation might help me.  I was giving the success rates and I am scheduled for Sept 20th this year.  I am very undecided if this is the correct action for me.  I am worried that I will have a stoke, heart attack or death during the procedure.  Can anyone share their experience/view on having this procedure for this type of heart flutter?  I have tens of thousands some days, other times, only 1 or 2 the entire day.  I’m just so tired of lying in bed to fearful to move.  

[imanning]

Please consider trying magnesium supplements if you haven't already.  I suffered for over 12 years with PVC's sometimes over 15,000 daily.  I finally found relief after trying magnesium glycinate 400 mg every day.  It took 2 months to see a difference but now, over 6 months later, if finally have a normal heartbeat and rhythm most of the time.  It has been a miracle for me.

[Mom2four85]

I've had some type of arrhythmia (mostly pvc's) since age 9 and a doctor didn't take me seriously until age 42 at my peak when I was having 50,000+ pvc's daily for a couple of years (yes day in day out and feeling every one)

In the 3 years I've been here; I've seen different doctors quote different thresholds but typically it's anything over 15-20% of pvc's daily (15,000+ daily) over a period of years can lead to problems but doesn't mean it will.

I developed problems with my amount, but there was a dr who said he treated a lady for over 10 years who had 80,000 pvc's daily who never developed any damage.

Ablation for me didn't work but there are some that do quite well with them.  The only thing I've found to work at all is Inderal twice daily and then sometimes I have breakthroughs.

Hopefully you'll find something that works for you =)

[CCFHeartMD16]

If your PVC burden is high enough, then it can not only cause symptoms, but over a long period of time can even lead to heart failure. For some, if medications have not helped, or if symptoms are still too severe, then catheter based therapy (ablation) may be the right option.

Risk of death/stroke/heart attack is a real thing with all invasive heart procedures, from ablation to heart catheterization, with different rates depending on the procedure. For instance, with cardiac catheterization (angiogram), risk of those three complications - combined - is less than 1%. For ablations, particularly those on the left side of the heart (PVCs, V tach, afib) there is a risk of stroke or heart attack because the catheter can develop a clot on the catheter which could break off and go down a coronary artery (heart attack) or to the brain (stroke). To prevent this, anticoagulation (blood thinners) are given during the procedure to prevent development of clot on the catheter. There is still a risk, and you should discuss with the EP you spoke with about what the risk is in percent. With complex ablations (as is a PVC ablation) it is best to do it at a high volume center where they have experience with the complex technique, have done many similar cases, and have experienced the complications before so that they know how to intervene immediately should something adverse happen. Cleveland Clinic does fit that bill, as do a number of other centers around the country. If you would like a second opinion, you should seek one to decide if this is right for you.