Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
932533 tn?1269092355

PVCs and Possible Ablation Surgery

I've had PVCs for about 10 years now, and yes, just like lots of other sufferers I had a couple of trips to the ER and a series of tests until it was finally diagnosed and I was told I needed to learn to live with them.  But then I went on a diet at the beginning of this year (2010) and started working out (yoga and elliptical) about an hour to an hour and a half a day.  I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but the PVCs are back full force.  I'm also very symptomatic with mine - my blood pressure drops, I feel faint and I have trouble speaking and breathing when they're at their worst.  So I went back to my cardiologist last week and he put a 24-hour holter monitor on me.  The result was that he said I had about 9,000 ectopic (irregular) beats during those 24 hours, and most were approximately every other heartbeat.  He also said he could see they were all coming from the same place in the lower chamber of my heart.  Therefore, he referred me to a EP (Electrophysiologist) who specializes in the electrical and rhythm issues with the heart.  But he said his recommendation would be to seriously consider ablation surgery.  

I'm a healthy 49-year old woman (although overweight, but probably not for much longer) and I have absoutely no other health conditions except this extremely annoying heart issue.  The thought of heart surgery scares me and I'm wondering if it's something I really should be considering.  I'll know more after I go to the EP in mid April, but for now, I'd love to know if anyone else has had this surgery and what your experience has been.  I know there are a couple of different types of ablation surgery, with one being "non-surgical", so please let me know what kind you had.

Also, if you have any questions you think I should ask the EP, I'd love to hear them.  I guess my only question right now is "If I elect NOT to have the surgery, do these numerous eptopic beats reduce the life of my heart?"  I'm thinking that it's obviously making my heart work harder, so does it eventually take its toll?

Thanks in advance for your response!
7 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Yes I had a Ablation five years ago it went very good had no more PVCS until last month. I started bike riding five months ago don't know if this has anything to do with it I will see my Cardo. Doctor next week  but he is not the one who did the Ablation it was  EP Doctor.
Helpful - 0
3885607 tn?1348508726
omg you are having allot of pvc same as me. i am scared to death and have had 2 ablations with no success :( can i please call you and talk to you about this. is may ease my mind or maybe yours
thanks
kristi.. p,s i hope to hear from you soon
please inbox me your number
Helpful - 0
584851 tn?1220272833
yes, there always a pain in the butt. when there gone and come back, that is what is the worst. you think there going to give you a break, but then wham. I know, i go a few weeks with out a bunch, then i'll have a few days of them reguarly, Im, not as bad as most of ya'll, and hope i never get that way. Mine are maybe 1 or 2 every minute or two. And i was told mine are PAC's, but i think i may have both. Anyway, good luck all. and God bless.

ML
Helpful - 0
932533 tn?1269092355
Thank you SO much for taking the time to share your stories and advice with me.  I've been reading a LOT since I posted this and I've come to realize that ablation surgery is not as scary as I originally thought.  It's still something I will consider seriously before I have it done.  And since my PVC episodes are very sporadic, I'm not going to do anything until I feel they are interrupting my daily life.

Please know that your similar PVC experiences give me a lot of comfort.  As I'm sure we all did in the beginnning - it's a very scary feeling to have your heart go into severe palpatations.  I used to think I was going to drop dead any minute.  But this forum, and lots of reading on the subject, have cleared up a lot of things up for me and put my mind at ease.  I truly thank you all for that!!

I'll post again after I see the EP.

Sheila
Helpful - 0
1244042 tn?1269980489
I too have cardiomyopathy and scheduled for ablation next Monday.  Although, I have been having over 40,000 pvc's a day.  I had 1500 a day last March w/ a clean echo.  B/c of the amount of PVC's, my Dr. has suspected it is definitely from my PVC's.  My EP said as a general rule, over 20,000 PVC's a day may have a higher chance of causing the cardiomyopathy or other problems, but this is rare.  At over 1500 a day I had symptoms and now I am trying to live my normal life working full time w/ 2 young children and over 40000 a day.  It's exhausting.  Praying the ablation works and goes well.  You are fortunate they are at a lower number, although keep up to date w/ your EP.   Good luck to you.
Helpful - 0
21064 tn?1309308733
Hi and welcome!!!  I used to frequent these boards, and I decided to stop over to see what's going on with friends and new visitors : )  Glad I stopped by.  I have been in your shoes, and I have had 2 successful PVC ablations!!  The difference has been amazing!!!  If you search around the heart forums, you'll find more of my story, but in a nutshell….I had had PVCs for at least 25 years.  Over the years, I had plenty of Holters, EKGs, and other tests.  I also have mitral valve regurgitation, so I have serial echocardiograms to keep track of my heart/valve function.  Despite have over 20,000 PVC/day for who knows how long, I was doing fine.  They were annoying, but I was so used to them, it felt "normal" for me to have them.  Anyway, I had a routine serial echocardiogram in 2002, and somehow I had developed cardiomyopathy.  My EP suspected that the frequent PVCs could be the cause.  There was not really any data to support the theory, but there was a little research that had been done.   I was put on antiarrhythmics for several months, but the side effects were bothersome.   When the doctor told me I would have to take them forever , I decided to try ablation.  I had 2 ablations (2 different areas) in 2003, and 6.5 years later, I hardly have any PVCs.  I can probably count on 1 hand the number of days in a month when I have PVCs.  Prior to the procedures, I could count on 1 hand the number I had every 10 seconds.  I was in bigeminy a LOT and had plenty of couplets (2 in a row) and nsvt.  It took several months, but I have had no sign of cardiomyopathy since then!  Oh, I was about 45 when I had the procedures.  I was put under conscious sedation.  I could talk, walk, answer questions, but I have almost no recollection of any of it.  Good luck with the appointment, and feel free to send me a message or respond here if you have any questions.
You'll love these forums!!  There are lots a great people here, and you will learn a lot.

Connie

P.S.  Cardiomyopathy is not a common side effect to frequent PVCs.  Had I not developed the PVCs, I might still be flip-flopping all day.  However, it has been wonderful to be PVC-less!!  I would not hesitate to go ahead if it were recommended by a skilled EP.
Helpful - 0
967168 tn?1477584489
I'm not familiar with a non surgical procedure for pvc's, what's it called?  

From my understanding most EP studies are done under twilight or wakeful sedation.  You can talk to the dr/nurses and they ask you questions during the surgery, sometimes they may only do a local, I think it's called.  I started out with wakeful, but then was put fully under due to complications.

They want to make sure you're not fully under or they can't map out where the pvc's are taking place, even then sometimes they can't induce the problem and have to redo the EPS.  If they fully map and find a place; then they ablate the area and make sure that's the only spot.

As for 9,000 being numerous and reduce the life of your heart - it would depend on how many your total 24/hr holter heartbeats were and if you have any other problems, from my understanding.  Even if you have an enormous amount, say 30,000+ daily continuously, they may not cause problems, but they can cause cardiomyopathy there's just no guarantee or set rule.

The average 24 hr daily HB are about 100,000, so that would make yours about 9% of your 24 hr total.  What my dr's  told me was they normally treat 6,000 - 8,000 pvc's with meds, unless you have other problems.  They look at ablation when the total 24 HB rate is above 15% - 20% of your total HB's.

Medicine works really well for some, but others like me with other health issues, they don't work as well, so that may be an option for you.

Since you have dizziness, I would ask what they think that's from and mention a tilt table test to see if it can find the cause - I had my TTT done a couple of hours before my ablation.

You may want to get a copy of your results and see exactly what's going on and do research, so when you go back to your dr you can ask questions.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community

Top Arrhythmias Answerers
1807132 tn?1318743597
Chicago, IL
1423357 tn?1511085442
Central, MA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.