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tachycardia after ablation for arrythmias
I have suffered for 2 5 years with arrhythmias I saw a cardiologist for this problem 25 years ago I had an echocardiogram & blood work done . Yes they found arrhythmias & my potassium was low. Because I was only 27 and healthy I was told to keep up my potassium & to live with it. After about 20 years the problem only got worse the arrhythmias were waking me up I was only getting like 2--3 hours sleep so my husband pushed me to see a Dr about this problem again. So I did the Dr put me on Metroloprol and it worked for about a year so then I was back to 2--3 hours sleep and mega exhausted my pulse rate stayed like 42--50 and the arrhythmias were still there. So my Dr sent me to a cardiologist they ran a tread mill stress test and another echocardiogram and weaned me off the Metroloprol. And started me on Diltiazem this did not stop the arrhythmias. So this cardiologist sent me to a cardio physiologist this Dr took me off the Diltiazem and started me on Flecainide this didn't work either. So the cardio physiologist went in & did an ablation this seemed to work, but 3 weeks later I was waking up soaking wet & my pulse rate was like 190. I never had that problem before so I went back to the cardio physiologist they did an event monitor and it showed that I was having tachycardia. So I was put back on the Metropolrol it work for about 2 weeks now I am having tachycardia again even worse . So I feel helpless I was wondering if anyone else has had this trouble & what to do I can't stand feeling crazy like it will never go away.
One reason left VT is hard to ablate is shown in the U of Sydney video link below of LV heart model. The other reasons not shown are that you have to navigate through the mitral valve which has chordae tendineae papillary muscles attachments that are easily damaged with conventional catheters. The abstract to go with the youtube video is at the bottom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBxrl9lqOfc
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=26123094
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBxrl9lqOfc
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=26123094
I think you have the left and right side reversed. The left side ablations are trickier because it takes more catheter navigation to get there and also more skills to control the catheter once you get there. Success rate on the right side is higher as a result. If you had left sided PVC ablation, that is about as complex as you get.
Apology accepted I was researching a lot lately on the percentage of catheter ablation having to be done again. In the left chambers of the heart success rate of ablation is about 98% . And the right is trickier and the success rate is about 70-75% . So I was lucky my pvcs were on the left side and that was reassuring to know. I also know my EP said that as many nerve endings he took care of it could be as long as a year for healing. I still get some escaped pvcs on scale 1-10 I feel I get maybe 1-1/2 . It is such a big difference since the ablation.
My apologies for appearing negative about your EP. It was misunderstanding on my part that you had upper chamber ablation that resulted in VT. Something that should not happen. Now that I understand you had PVC ablation, it makes more sense. PVC ablations are similar to VT ablations as the procedure goes after the same triggers. It is a complex procedure and if your EP does a lot of them, then he is probably competent. The top rank specialists that focus on VT/PVC ablations do 100-150 of them per year. Your EP should know how to ablate SVTs - it should be a piece of cake for him.
I had a catheter ablation for pvcs I did not have it for vt . I started having episodes of psvt a month after the ablation for pvcs . I really do not know why you keep trashing my EP like he is incompitant. I do not know how they rank Drs my EP has done several I am sure . When I was getting my catheter ablation I was the 2nd of the day and there were 2 more after me.
Yes I will try the cold water and valsalva technique I am always for nature as opposed to meds.
I have resigned myself to the fact it will never be 100% I was hoping for 90% Lol. I guess I was just wanting more than 3 hours sleep. I teach special needs children so I have to have all my facilities. I appreciate all the advice I know everyone doesn't have the exact same problem but some symptoms are alike. So I am not crazy or alone in this roller coaster ride.
Probably good to wait a bit anyways but do try to see if the techniques Tom and I spoke of help stop it sooner for you. Try to terminate episodes of SVT by using a technique called Valsalva; that's holding ones breath and bearing down hard for a couple of seconds. Others here have done headstands to terminate an episode. Or drinking a very cold glass of water or even trying to cough or jump up and down. Worth a shot.
I am going to wean off beta blockers while taking a calcium channel blocker. The Dr wants to monitor it and see how goes if it works I will be in heaven. If it doesn't they will try another ablation I have to wait until January. The insurance won't approve another till it's been a year.
She was not having tachycardia before her ablation so that tells me she likely had an ablation for ectopic beats though not clear if it was for pvcs or pacs. Her heart rate was slow not fast before.
Ok. Let me get this straight as it is still not clear what is happening. The EP ablated your SVT and now you have VT? Or the EP ablated but you still have SVT? Also it would be helpful if the EP was more specific about the type of SVT you had like Michelle said. The only difficult one to ablate would be a right wall accessory pathway but even that has 70% success rate. All the other possibilities are in the mid to high 90's for someone that knows what they are doing. Pacemaker is really the last resort for the screwed up cases or if you have bradycardia.
PS it is still a mystery how your EP got his top ranking. How many ablations has he done and how many does he do per year?
PS it is still a mystery how your EP got his top ranking. How many ablations has he done and how many does he do per year?
Good advice from Tom. I will also add you can try drinking a cold glass of water or even jumping up and down and see if that gets it to stop. the sooner you get it to stop the less wear and tear it will have on your heart and you can live with it your whole life but being able to get it to stop on your own is key. I also want to add to avoid caffeine and watch stomach issues and manage any anxiety you are having. As much as they are big triggers for ectopic beats they can also trigger svt episodes as well. They really are all interconnected.
My opinion of physicians is down there with attorneys, and car salesmen. They're not all bad. You just have to watch out.
It's good that you now know what you have. SVT and PSVT are interchangeable. I just say SVT. Michelle and I had near lifelong SVT until we got it fixed. It' something that you can live with, but it's a pain. Both of us could control our SVT, by that I mean terminate episodes of SVT by using a technique called Valsalva; that's holding ones breath and bearing down hard for a couple of seconds. Others here have done headstands to terminate an episode.
If your diagnosis remains, and does not clear up as your heart heals, I don't want to be a bearer of bad news, but drugs don't work 100%. My prediction is that you will continue to have episodes. The only way to really fix it permanently is through ablation.
The good new is that episodes of SVT really isn't a dangerous condition provided it isn't allowed to run on and on. The longest episode that I had was a little over 24 hours, and that was the first episode when I was 6. It wasn't until my lips were turning bluish that my mother called a doctor to come to the house that it was discovered. But in general, I'd say if you can't slow it yourself, or if it doesn't spontaneously terminate on its own with an hour or so, then I'd seek medical intervention to slow it. SVT also becomes problematic as we age. It's tough on an aging heart. This fact was key in getting mine fixed at 60 while my heart and I were still in excellent physical shape. So try the meds and see what happens. Don't be disappointed if you get breakthroughs and I don't think anyone is 100% controlled my drugs alone. ....Oh and also consider that experimenting with the various anti-arrhythmics at various dose levels carries a risk factor as well. My cardiologist said the risk factor was equal to an electrophysiology procedure. They're not Tic-Tacs you taking, but some serious stuff. Good luck....
It's good that you now know what you have. SVT and PSVT are interchangeable. I just say SVT. Michelle and I had near lifelong SVT until we got it fixed. It' something that you can live with, but it's a pain. Both of us could control our SVT, by that I mean terminate episodes of SVT by using a technique called Valsalva; that's holding ones breath and bearing down hard for a couple of seconds. Others here have done headstands to terminate an episode.
If your diagnosis remains, and does not clear up as your heart heals, I don't want to be a bearer of bad news, but drugs don't work 100%. My prediction is that you will continue to have episodes. The only way to really fix it permanently is through ablation.
The good new is that episodes of SVT really isn't a dangerous condition provided it isn't allowed to run on and on. The longest episode that I had was a little over 24 hours, and that was the first episode when I was 6. It wasn't until my lips were turning bluish that my mother called a doctor to come to the house that it was discovered. But in general, I'd say if you can't slow it yourself, or if it doesn't spontaneously terminate on its own with an hour or so, then I'd seek medical intervention to slow it. SVT also becomes problematic as we age. It's tough on an aging heart. This fact was key in getting mine fixed at 60 while my heart and I were still in excellent physical shape. So try the meds and see what happens. Don't be disappointed if you get breakthroughs and I don't think anyone is 100% controlled my drugs alone. ....Oh and also consider that experimenting with the various anti-arrhythmics at various dose levels carries a risk factor as well. My cardiologist said the risk factor was equal to an electrophysiology procedure. They're not Tic-Tacs you taking, but some serious stuff. Good luck....
Ok, that is good to hear. Svt isn't as worrisome as vt. It is possible you had this issue all along but it was hiding behind the pvcs. It happens. Has your ep discussed another ablation? Depending on the type some are easier to fix than others. Like I stated, mine was easy to fix, avnrt which involves the avnode and avrt is a pathway between the atria and ventricles which is also fairly easy to fix barring where either of the extra tissue is for both but ist, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia can involve the sa node and can be a bit harder to treat if it is too close to the sa node. I will also say that the bp meds are not going to stop the episodes. Just an fyi. They will help slow your heart rate down but they are not a cure and anti arrhythmic meds are generally more dangerous than good for atria issues. Worst case scenario, they need to ablate and you wind up with a pacemaker. I know an upsetting prospect but if you are having almost daily episodes that may take a toll on your heart years down the line as you start to reach your 60s. Best of luck and hope you can get a handle on this or possibly a cure.
I thought you would like to know I saw my Dr today I have svt/psvt and is an atrial issue. The Dr is putting me on a calcium blocker verapamil er and slowly wean me off the beta blocker. Since my pvcs have lessened tremendously he thought it best to not be on both beta and calcium blocker. I will go back in 4 weeks to see how it's working. So crossing my fingers .
I had general anesthesia, so I could not see who was doing my procedure. I relied on my EP's integrity to do what he promised me.
I was awake for the ablation so I do know that my electrophysiologist was indeed the one doing the catheterization. I do know that some EP do like to have their assistants do the procedure and some EP also choose to sometimes put the patient under .
It sometime turns out that you have to go back in a second time. We've had a number of forum members who've done this. However, if you go back in again, one of the questions you ask of the electrophysiologist is, "Whose hands are on the catheter?" If you choose the electrophysiologist, make sure it is he who's doing the burning and no one else. Teaching hospitals often have cardiology fellows in training doing the work while your electrophysiologist monitors. I had mine done at UMass. When I asked that question of my electrophysiologist, his response was, "I can do the work if you desire that". I took that to mean that if I hadn't said anything, the work would have been done by someone else. So just be careful!
The EP below should be on the list too. He handles a decent volume of complex ablations.
http://caifl.com/our-physicians/
http://caifl.com/our-physicians/
Sorry, I just think based on your posts that your doctors haven't done a good job explaining to you what you have. If it was PSVT, that is easy to cure with ablation at high volume centers. The success rate for curing these types of arrhythmia coming from the right atrium is in the high 90's. I think as Michelle that you need to get a better explanation of what you have before you can decide what to do about it. If you are willing, take good notes and share it with us. Best wishes in getting to a settled heart.
I feel like passing out but no pain or shortness of breath . I will get the feeling you describe as one long beat like my heart will just stop. Lately it feels like it quivers so that is also new. I will definatelly ask about vt/nsvt and the svt/psvt. Besides the pvcs I am learning all I can you have helped a lot .
Ok, but just to be clear psvt is not vt. It is an atrial issue so ask if you do indeed have vt/nsvt or if it is an svt/psvt from the atria. I would become short of breath with my svt. It felt manic and was hard to breath. I felt as if I would pass out but never did. It rarely happens with problems in the atria. It would start and stop in what felt like one beat. The couple of short vt episodes I had felt like a hard thumping in the lower part of the heart though not sure that is what everyone feels.
I am trying to figure out why you think I have not gone down the ecumenical path. 1--- my Gp was quick to send me to a cardiologist when the beta blocker I was on wasn't working on the pics. 2-- my cardiologist after doing stress test , echocardiogram and halter monitor realized what was going on with my heart he sent me right away to an EP affiliated with a great Ep lab. 3-- Ep Dr tried another antiarrythmic med when this failed he went in and did catheter ablation. 4-- after a month my heart started racing I went back to Ep Dr he did an event monitor it showed vtach and not Afib. So now I am going to start on antiarrythmic for the vtach to see if it will help if not then I will have a icd put in.
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