heart arrhythmias

[jan2801]

just had ablation done for pvc didn't work , has this happened to anyone else and what did you do to correct the problem. seem like my symptoms are worse since eps study and ablation. i,m very discouraged because i thought i was going to wake up symptom free.

[itdood]

PVCs can be hit or miss to ablate.  I think the success rate for benign unifocal PVCs is 60%.

Unifocal means they are coming from a single source.  so obviously a higher success rate.  Then you have to deal with the location.  If it's close to a critical structure the success rate goes back down.

If the PVCs are Multifocal, meaning coming from various sources, the success rate goes down.  It's like trying to play whack-a-mole.    Those can be managed by going after the sources with the most activity, but that will only decrease them.

getting to the bottom of those questions with your doc might help with decisions.  

I'm not trying to discourage you from having the procedure at all.  I just think it's important to understand the options or else you are putting the decision making power with someone other than yourself.  I've heard of many people on this board who ended up having great success with it but it took a few tries.

[candi65]

Never give up jan2801. Even tho 1 month ago  post procedureI made a trip to the ER from rapid heartbeat plus Afib symptoms and put on the drug Flecainide.  Yesterday I returned from my 3 month post ablation check with my EP/Cardiologist who did the ablation for me.My Echocardiogram came back "picture perfect", no more Coumadin and 1/2 dose of Flecainide for 6 more weeks then off of all drugs other than aspirin.  After the Flecainide is done my heart still has some healing to do. If it is not a total sucess I will try it again.  I too have been very worried and sad. (Check my post on this site from last week) I think all of us on this site have been from time to time. Just know that it takes time and if you have questions write them down and ASK your Doc. We are here for you jan2801. A Peaceful Heart is all of our goal.

[cindy707]

Hi i read your post....how do you know it was a fail did the doc tell you this?  I too had an ablation of PVC's among other things and i was a success case....but i certainly didn't come out of it symtom free...i had to earn that right....for the PVC's it took me four months after the ablation before i became symtom free and another 2 months for the atrial fib to subside.  The docs say it can take up to six months to know if its a fail or not.  I do know for sure that about 10 days after the procedure i thought i was going to die (again) after the ablation and ran my little rear right back to the E,R, thinking that for sure that they had come back times 5...they didn't i was just having random runs after the procedure.  I try to remind everyone that our hearts take time to heal after the ablation..it has been poked, prodded, penetrated and zapped  and on top of that it has to re teach itself the right way to beat symtom free thru repetition.  Your heart if you had the ablation done recently is no doubt still swollen from the procedure and i could give you story after story of what my heart was doing but each is our own like fingerprints sort of ...don't lose hope especially if the doc didn't confirm that it was a fail.  Like Debbier posted i too chose the antenolol to get me thru the rough patches and it definately worked for me....patience is the word of the day here...we all want it and we want it now....too bad it wasn't true.....each day you should be getting less and less symtoms until the day comes that you no longer feel your heart and its like a jolt to you when you realize it....like i said unless the doc said they didn't catch all of the spots and it was a fail don't even go there yet......

[Jerry_NJ]

Don't give up "too" soon, full recovery from an ablation can take a few months.  How long has it been since your ablation?

Did your doctor say the ablation didn't work, i.e., could not zero in on the trouble areas?  What is the plan forward?