Hi,
I have been through 3 heart ablations for my IST. The last ablation lasted for almost a year and a half. I am having symptoms now, I am stuck with the issue of going back on heart MEDICATIONS {which only lasted for 3 years, I went through MANY heart meds} then finally i found a electrocardiologist that was able to get to my arrhythmia. which where it is at, I had to go through 3 doctors to find the one that was willing to ablate the major spot. Now that the symptoms are back, I know for a fact that i don't want to go through the heart medications, they almost killed me. But i don't know if the doctor will be able to ablate my heart again. Plus knowing that it only lasts a bit over a year, i just don't know what to do but wait until I just cant take the symptoms anymore. any one else feel like this???
thanks for reading this.
Tuffy
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How many Ablations can one heart take?
- By Tuffy
- Posted June 13, 2009 at 2:38 pm · 7 replies
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- By Lucindy
- Posted June 13, 2009 at 4:07 pm
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Tuffy, I am so sorry you are dealing with this issue. Welcome to the club. The problem is that everyone's electrical problem is different from everyone else's so there is no single answer. I can just share my story.
About six? seven? years agoI had v-tach episodes that went from 4 a day to 100 a day. Had an ablation that lasted seven hours and that didn't work. Went on meds.
Changed doctors . . . went from UNC to Duke. A year later, I had another seven hour ablation. It also failed. My physician said that I was going to have to wait until technology had advanced a bit before they attempted it again.
Then, last October when I was back in the hospital adjusting meds and testing my defib, I met a woman who had v-tach episodes that appeared to be similar to mine. She too had two ablations and her physician also said that he wanted to wait until technology improved. A few years later, they did the ablation and she said it was successful. WOW did that fill me with hope.
But a little more into the conversation, I discovered she was also on the drug they were testing on me . . . sodalol. I asked her why she was on the drug if the ablation was a success. Well . . . it turns out that it was beginning to come back . . . slowly.
So, here is my theory which is based on NOTHING just a gut feeling. I have no medical background and am certainly not offering any advice or suggestions to you . . . I am just telling my story. I think that v-tach . . . the kind that I have . . . is so strong that even if they could rewire my heart and create new circuits that eventually v-tach would find its way back.
So, for me, I am no longer thinking about ablations. I think about how many spots have already been burned during two procedures that went on for 14 hours. Did it cause more damage? Less? I don't know. But I have decided to pursue other paths of treatment rather than putting all my hopes on the ablation.
That said, I do know several men who had ablations and it worked and they have no problem at all. It is amazing what electrocardiologists can do.
- By MissCaro
- Posted June 14, 2009 at 8:12 am
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Hi,
I've got a similar story. I've had three ablations in the last 4 months totaling 12 hours. None were successful. Apparently the area of damaged cells is too widespread. The second ablation worked for a week and then the palpitations came back. The third ablation was only a couple of days ago so we'll see how long that lasts. The reason the VT keeps coming back according to my cardiologist is because I have ARVD. It's a disease which causes the muscle of the right ventricle to be replaced with fat. So there always comes a point where the palpitations break through whatever treatment they give me. Sotalol is the drug I'm on at the moment.
I'm only 27 so it looks like a hard road ahead.
Not sure about your situations but you may want to explore the possibility of ARVD.
- By Tuffy
- Posted June 14, 2009 at 3:11 pm
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Thank you for your replies!!
I had wolf- parkenson- white syndrome, for years. when they finally found out thats what i had. thats when i entered the wonderful world of ablations. they got rid of the wpw, but it is common for this syndrome to have inappropriate sinus tachycardia. {IST} it is wraped around my diaphram nerve. fun uh??? and yes, i understand the 7 hour ablation, thats how long my last one took. when the doctor came out he told my husband to never bring me back.. he fought with my heart all that time, he did a sinus node alteration. I am somewhat now reliant on my pacemaker. which is ok. I just wish i didn't loose soo much weight, i look great except where it is sticking out.. HA HA!! with IST, i didn't know that there is only a 20% chance of curing this thing.. but such is life. I thank you for your replies. I am also sorry that we all have to be dealing with such a difficult and life altering disorders. with IST i have episodes that so far last up to 30 seconds but my heart rate goes to 175 bpm. in November it was 204 bpm for 20 min. thats why its called inappropriate. it hits when ever and what ever im doing. but any physical activity will set it off. too bad the pacemaker doesn't pick up how hard my heart beats. thats the worst. which im sure you all know how that feels...
- By Lucindy
- Posted June 14, 2009 at 3:49 pm
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MissCaro, My second ablation lasted about a week as well and then it came back.
I have been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy among other things. Had a pacemaker/defib implanted last August. It went off four weeks later and nearly didn't bring me back even though it was set on maximum power. They then put me on solatol to lessen the intensity of the v-tach, as I understand it. My defib hasn't gone off since then although it came close to doing so one time. I haven't noticed any side effects with the drug.
- By angSVT
- Posted June 23, 2009 at 10:32 pm
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I had an ablation last year and it was unsucessful. i had a lot of complications from it. My doctors do not want to go in and try it again because I am high risk. its discouraging because i am only 22 years old. i have been on medication since then and it regulates it pretty well. But after my ablation it took me almost a year to get to the point i am now. It really irritated my heart.
- By angSVT
- Posted June 23, 2009 at 10:38 pm
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I think my ablation may have caused more damage. The doctors where quick to push the procedure on me but i would recommend to anyone considering it to really try medication first.
- By Lucindy
- Posted June 24, 2009 at 6:14 pm
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Looking back, I think I would agree. Of course, at the time, I was up to 100 v-tach episodes a day and something had to be done fast. So I don't fault the doctors and their decision. The second one, however, if I knew then what I know now, I probably would have taken a pass. We must all arm ourselves with all the info on meds and procedures that we can so we can make informed decisions.
That said . . . .
In a recent online blog, I read one gentleman urging another not to have a defib put in. All I know is if I had waited 6 more weeks to have my defib put in, I would have died in my sleep. Who knows whether something that works for me would work for you.
So, please take any of my thoughts NOT as suggestions on what you should do but on what *I* would do if I had it all to do over again.
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