What to expect post-op SVT ablation surgery

[kybuddha]

OK, I am gettin ready to have ablation surgery for SVT. What should I expect post-op? I am seriously freaking out about this. I have never had SVT until 9 months ago when I took Sudafed. My doctor says that I was born with SVT and that the Sudafed just triggered it. Does anyone have any words of wisdom?

[Olivia007]

I dont understand to all of you why you have to have 2-3 abalations?? It scares me that they cant get it right the first time? And then you all have some symptoms or more symptoms. After the procedure.  Im confused.

[emilymcgrath27]

This was my experience.  Much easier to vlog than to write out.  Good luck! You'll be fine :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlVoK1W2gqM

[sideshowA]

Yes I also have S.V.T. What you should have been told by your doctor as well is that every time you have an event there is an enzyme that leaks out of your heart (after causing unfixable damage to the heart itself) that they can draw your blood and look at the levels. I wish I could remember the name of the enzyme it starts with a "T" and it requires them to draw your blood 3 times a few hours apart. Also, I hate to tell you this but having an S.V.T. Attack is really having a heart attack.
When you heart is in a rapid heartbeat situation your blood pressure drops because your heart is not able to ever do a complete pump action which means it is not able to effectively pump the blood through out your body.
Believe me I know how frightening this is to go through. My last episode lasted a little over 2 hours and on the heart monitor my highest beats per minute were at 190ish. That one was very different from the regular ones that I have been living with for years they usually for me are over within 30 mins. and I had made up my mind along time ago to not even worry about the B.P.M.'s . The only other really bad one that I had I was in the hospital about 6 months pregnant and with that one I was according to the heart monitor at 280 beats a minute. That time they put me in ICU for 3 days and then 1 week on the cardiac floor. This was a very long time ago before the option of surgery and all they could do was put me on meds that do not work and make every food a pregnant woman craves off limits. So my advice get the surgery I am going too. Then you will never have to deal with it again. I hope that my post helped you and others in some way. Good Luck to everyone out there dealing with this.

[zivkam]

I had my ablation done March of 2012 to try to cure my A-Fib.  I have Paroxysmal AFib like Bruce and my episodes lasted anywhere from 10-30 hrs before converting back to normal rhthym on its own.  When they first started years ago, they occurred once every year/year and a half.  During the entire year of 2011 I averaged one episode a month.  My cardiologist changed my meds from the "pill in a pocket" method of treatment to daily meds.  After that my frequency increase to twice a month.  In Jan of '12 I decided to go through with the catheter cardiac ablation.  I researched it online and initially saw only side effects as risk of clots, puncturing the veins/heart, stroke, bruising, etc.  After the procedure, I started to have extremely painful swallowing.  My cardiologist "cleared" me to return to work saying my heart was normal, but referred me to an upper GI specialist about my swallowing.  Several visits to the other doc and a endoscopy to look down my esophagus, it was found that I had a severe ulcer in my upper esophagus immediately adjacent to my heart.  I found out (after specifically searching for esophageal damage associated with  cardiac ablations) that this can occurred in 5-14% of all ablations.  This also can cause a fistula (please look that up as according to medical studies is fatal in nearly every case it was diagnosed.)  The cardiologist basically burned via the HF radiowaves through my heart wall and into the side of my esophagus.  My ulcer was so severe that it eventually tore causing fluid from swallowing to leak directly into my chest cavity.  All of this was unknown to me until the inflammation from the increase fluid put pressure on my lungs and heart making it extremely painful and nearly impossible to breath.  An ambulance trip to the ER and 28 hours waiting in pain for them to try to diagnose and fix the problem was not fun.  I was eventually transferred to a more "reliable" medical facility where they found the tear and had to perform an emergency thoracotomy to fix the tear.  3 chest tubes and a 17 day stay in the hospital later I was back at home 20 pounds lighter than before it all happened and looking at 4 months of physical therapy to return to health.  I was 9 months AFib free and was back to my former running form (3-4 miles/run) when I started having episodes again.  

I say all this to warn you of "additional" risks/side effects that are not listed on most websites or even in your hospital paperwork.  Will I risk ablation again?  Only time and AFib frequency will tell.

[kmcinnes]

Hi Kristin,
I had an ablation done for Atrial Fibrilation and SVTs at 250 as well.  The ablation helped me, I have no more palpitations and no SVT.  I have to be on Beta Blockers to slow my heart rate down.  After surgery it was at a normal rate for about two weeks and then I had no choice but to take the medicine.  Good luck Katherina

[teews]

Hello. I had similar surgery in 2006 after finding I was born with this hereditary heart defect.
I had 2 pathways that both would trigger. Through-out my life I may have had fast heartbeats,not sure, I know I had palpitations, tho didn't know it was unusual. about 1999, I started having several health problems and also diagnosed with m.s. so that I was having spasms in my chest plus the svc,& aided in mis-diagnosis I believe. So, it's what 4 different hospitals and many many Doctor's called it, until the "unknown Doctor in my absent Cardiologist's office" saw my face that day, then asked me a few questions, wrote a name on a piece of paper with a phone number & sent me on my way! The name was to the Best Heart Surgeon, at St. Bernardine's Medical Center who knew the real problem. These attacks just hit at any time triggered by some things & more often than not without a reason, & Out of the blue "wham"! my head seemed to hit the ceiling, sick instantly to my stomach,(sudden drop in blood pressure)adrenaline shooting thru me, even paranoid-like at times tho to quick-going to care,and my heart would take off! Blood pressure at times bottomed out, by the time paramedics asked questions finally getting the thingy on my finger I was almost out! The first time paramedics were called for this, I'd laid down on the floor & my entire body was literally bouncing up and down from the fast heart rate, someone saw & called 911. Being alone mostly & not knowing as I said there were other health issues,I would pass out not realizing it was from my heart problem. Symptoms changed a lot. The 2 months with the Surgeon's pre op care, they gave me the correct medicine after 8 years of the wrong medicine, plus told me what symptoms to watch for saying they will change so pay attention etc.Being specialist's, when they asked questions,I didnt check boxes on a list, it's unbelievable, at least to me when the Doctor asks questions that I could answer & symptoms I had weren't ignored, the problem & care/ by these Professional's fit like a glove, the only time in 57 years I knew the Doctor cared, & I had total trust in him, & got  the care & problem fixed! They asked the right questions, knew what I was told by Other Doctors & inquired so that I told them what they expected I'd been told/taught by the other Doctor's, so they cautioned me,explained why, & didnt have me do any of it again, scheduling surgery ASAP.  This problem was severe From 1999 to August 2006. I went to the Hospital by ambulance only after the paramedics had to do a "push IV" to stop my heart/convert it then proceed to the e.r. at least, & "Honest to God", over 150 plus times at 1 hospital, but there were 4-5 or 6 different ones., even from work. It was scary, very dangerous, & I couldn't live a normal life, or work finally either. The ambulance paramedics didnt bring ekg/machines back then, plus when they couldnt get any veins they didnt know it was from going to the hospital this same way, poked prodded, abused & abused some more, & apparently one time the medic put in the report I was shooting drugs causing the problem. after the lumps,no veins(hard to get veins when no pulse,blood pressure adrenaline etc, am not the medic & could figure that out, You are OYO!).Later the hospital I went to the most often apologized to me for treating me/stabilize me that is & throw me out many times because I was labeled for shoting drugs. Finally they had faxes in the ambulance,because I heard the radio & the hospital e.r. hollering "where are you" then she proceeded to advise them to the iv thing, what was needed, being a regular & all...Several times, as there are many different paramedics/ambulance co.'s, so these guy's would be shaking, nervous or even shocked when finding out it wasn't routine or anxiety, or SVT! Some even stayed hours at er until I was stabilized after putting me through things some of these not so well knowing people put me through. Got apologies & saw them care, & one things for sure, they got a good hands on lesson!Still, it was dragged out too long being called svt,tachcardia,shooting up drugs to my heart, accusations, bad care and hurried e.r. rooms, only mis-diagnosed my condition. The Cardiac Doctor thought similarly plus I do have m.vp. slightly and another issue. My regular Cardiology clinic couldn't get an ecg/ekg that showed anything since once it's converted,or paramedics stopped/started by IV push, there's nothing to show because the rythym was normal & nothing comes up on the tests! By chance I was being shoved aside at an e.r. that I drove myself to, so I about crawled across the street to the cardiac Doctor's office and seen by a Doctore before the receptionist there closed her door on me,insted of listening to me or looking at me because a Docotor I didn't even know walking up to the recept. desk saw me as she shut her little door, He hollered "get her in here", next thing I knew they laid me down put the ekg wires on my heart which seemed to immediately convert by itself, blowing my eardrums out I felt like, one of the worst EVER, and they got the 1 and only ever scg/ekg that showed the problem after more test than I could begin to count. That Doctor asked me how many times I had gone to the Hospital & by ambulance, he didn't even blink an eye when I told him over 150+ times just at the regular community hospital (they used to say how many times is this Teresa, & kept me up on the amounts too! LOL). 2 months later one of the best days in my whole life came when I went in to get the 2nd path (burned or what they call it). Next day, I knew it was true for sure,I had always had the problem. I turned 51 years old that same month. I was not scared, I was ecstatic & ready to get this done! My Surgeon was wonderful, he changed & saved my life!  I would do it all over again.