Posted on 05/21/2021 4:54:24 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
And frankly, they will bring me into the cath lab first to look for blockages. If anyone had experience there, I'd like to hear it.
Thanks in advance.
I can only speak for my personal experience. About 20 years ago I started having an arrhythmia.
Ablation helped but it was not a panacea by any stretch. However medical technology in regards to ablation has progressed a great deal, so your odds of benefiting are much better.
What remained after the ablation turned out to be properly controllable by medication. I have not had any issues for almost 20 years.
My father had a defibrillator implanted around the time I first started having issues. All I can tell you is that he seem to deal well with it and that it saved his life. For several reasons, the doctor told me that I was not a good candidate for a pacemaker so I consider myself extremely fortunate that medication has subdued the symptoms that remained after ablation.
This is an extremely stressful thing to deal with, but I can tell you that more than likely you are stressing more than it deserves. Wish I can tell you from personal experience is probably not going to help you much to hear that
There are several kinds of ablations. The two that I examined in detail were radiofrequency ablation and cryogenic ablation. The difference between the two is that radiofrequency turns off the cells beating out of sequence byo heat. Cryogenic ablation turns off heart cells beating out of sequence byo cold. My research showed that the success rate for radiofrequency ablations are about 50% whereas the cryogenic ablations success rate is about 70%. So I chose the cryogenic ablation. There are other procedures—but these are the least invasive. The next thing you want to do is find a cryogenic ablation doctor who does the procedure several times a week.As well, that he has been doing so for at least a year. That ensures that your ablation doctor knows what he is doing. All his work is committed to muscle memory. Finding this out takes some research. Do a lot of googling. If you’re rural you may have to go some distance to find a doctor who can do the job. That said, the hospital stay for me was only one day. The procedure is not very invasive. A week later I was back to working out on my regular schedule. To me, it felt like a miracle from God.
Ablation was fine. A bit odd, sort of “drive thru heart surgery”. Was awake thru it. No need for meds after.
Have a pacemaker too. Knocked out for that, nothing odd. Just keep magnets and radio transmitters (cell phone) a few inches away. Have to get pat down at airports.
The valve replacement though…
I had an episode of ventricular fibrillation in 1981. On a Sunday evening I was laying on the living room carpet then the oven bell rang and I got up to take cookies out of the oven. I suddenly felt very weak and could feel my heart racing. I laid back down and it subsided so we went to bed.
I got up for work the next morning and it started again so my wife said to call in sick. The boss thought I was gold bricking. We went to the hospital but no one would look at me until my wife spoke up. Someone came over and put a stethoscope on me and instantly said get a wheel chair. They put the paddles on me and kept me over night. They gave me medication but I only took it a few days. It never came back. They said it was WPW Syndrome, I think, and mentioned ablation if it comes back.
V Tach is nothing to play with. It can easily lead to sudden cardiac death.
Please listen carefully to your cardiologist, and if you still aren’t sure get a second opinion. Ablation is a painless procedure and I’ve had a lot of patients come in to the ER ALIVE instead coming to be pronounced dead thanks to their AICD.
Speaking as an ER doc with over 30 years of experience.
If you are asymptotic then don't worry about it anyhow. Many persons who do have A Fib become distressed and it can be unsettling. Likely as many would never even realize that they have A Fib if the Physician did not inform them.
It is an invasive procedure typically requiring access through the Femoral Artery. That can seem to be daunting though it is pretty much painless.
My Physicians have certainly discouraged me from having it done. They prefer to Rx Meds such as anticoagulants or Blood Pressure maintainers.
I have not had one but certain family members have and they are glad for that.
Hope that helps.
I’ve had personal experience with both, ablation therapy and my now 2nd ICD.
They both saved my life and well could save yours.
There is a lot of upside and very little downside.
Have a frank discussion with your MD and take it from there.
I appreciate your insight.
I am listening to my doctor. He is consider the eastern seaboard expert on ablation.
I don’t like the idea of the defibrillator in me… but decided I would be willing to do it for my bride who depends on me.
Has the ICD affected you comfort in sleeping.
Since you are experienced, is there anything else I should know?
Thanks!
I was hospitalized for v-tach 25 years ago. The doctor talked about implanting a pacemaker. The head nurse on ICU thought she was cheering me up by telling me that “they could keep me going another 2 or 3 years”. They woke me up a couple of times in the middle of the night to give me potassium, so I knew I had low potassium which is a muscle mineral. When I got home I insisted on a prescription for Effer-K 25 mEq and take one a day. I also buy on-line liquid Magonate, a muscle relaxant mineral, and take one tsp. per day. Never needed the pacemaker. I’m 81.
Thank you for your continual prayers!
Had all my work done at Johns Hopkins ... couldn’t have asked for better care.
No issues with sleeping whatsoever. The ICD is there only when you actually need it for the V-Tac but will also pace when needed.
They now have MRI compatible ICDs ... ask for that if you think you’ll every need a MRI for any reason in the future.
I had an incident last October. I was walking a dog for my neighbor, and woke up in the hospital 10 hours later.😬
My arrhythmia also originated in the left ventricle. I had many cardiology tests and still not really sure, but what helped me is a beta blocker(metoprolol) and a low dose aspirin. I have a lower ejection fraction and maybe some early heart failure (age 63,female), otherwise, coronaries and carotids were clear, so yay for that. They said I didn’t need a defibrillator or pacemaker. Ventricular arrhythmias are scary tho, less wiggle room I feel.
Had A-fib for 7-8 years. That’s the price I paid for hard living in my 20’s and 30’s. Would I do it differently if I could...absolutely!!! Finally told my Dr. I could not take the side effects from ameoderone. 1st ablation did not work. 2nd (after 6 months) did the trick. 7-8 hours under with general. This was a long time ago (1993). I was told at the time the A -fib would probably return in 6-7 years. Never did.
However, since then i had a triple bypass 4 years ago), and a pacemaker (6 months ago). Lost 50 lbs, down to 175 and feeling pretty good. Turn 75 next week. Retired and living the dream.
Good luck and go for it. Heart surgery is almost routine now. Risk is very low. Go to the best hospital you can find. I went to Tufts medical in Boston. My GP was at Mass General, and she sent me to Tufts. I am in Houston now, and the medical care is first rate.
Suffered from atrial, not ventricular, fibrillation for 20 years before getting an ablation in 2006 as a 60 some year old. Had to repeat the procedure in 2008 and have been basically happy with the results since then. Getting off medication was a big plus. The one negative I’ve experienced is the inability to raise my heartbeat beyond a certain point, resulting in being short winded while exercising vigorously. I was okay if I paced myself but sprints were out of the question. Now into my 70’s I can easily take a 3 mile walk without any shortness of breath.
Go ahead and get the ICD. Your life will be shorter without one. VF could occur at any time and your chances of survival if it happens outside of a hospital setting are very, very small.
My brother had it done. Changed his life for the better.
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