Just a quick question

[tiredandconfused]

I had my first ablation on 27 Jan. I was awake throughout and to be honest it was awful. During the burning stage, on one of the burn the pain shot up from my chest through my neck into my jaw. Has anyone else had this happen during the ablation procedure. The lady next to me said it didnt happen her.

[jennydog]

Oh that's awful!

I had a general anaesthetic for my ablation and I honestly had no pain at all. The downside is that recovery takes longer.

[jeanjeannie50]

I had my two ablations with sedation and had no pain at all.

Jean

[Rellim296]

That's dreadful! I think you've been very unlucky. I don't remember anything at all except for a few minutes at the beginning. No pain whatsoever at any time.

[Kimmieblue]

I had pain on two of my ablations, the first and the third, the burning is really bad, I was given a little morphine each time I felt the pain.

I have recovered well but still have AF and flutter, I'm not sure if anything I have done will free me of it because I seriously think my AF is brought on through the vagus nerve.

I wonder if anyone on this site is completely free of AF /flutter after treatment of any kind.

Best wishes to you.

X

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Kimmieblue]

coming up to seven years now thanks.

Bob

[Kimmieblue in reply to BobD]

Brilliant Bob, how long did you suffer with AF and what treatment did you have to put it right? Was it an ablation? Do you still take any meds? Sorry for all the questions but I'm very interested because there's hope!!

Many thanks

All the best. X

[Emgee in reply to Kimmieblue]

The good news is, so far - 3 months now - the A-Fib seems to be gone and I've not had any SVT episodes either, although the cardiologist who has been my guide for a number of years now, said "Oh, it will come back"....it usually does". He also cannot tell me what could happen since I now had a kind of 'scab' over the top of my heart since it was pierced.

All I remember being told the 'risks' were was...a 1% mortality rate - or I could wake with a pacemaker - never knew about tamponade nor phrenic nerve damage.

[Hidden]

Same as Kimmie, I had pain and had morphine immediately, next thing woke up in bed so no problem.

Koll

[Elbows]

I had some pain but no sooner did I go argh they upped the sedation and I was fine. However on a lighter note I did get told to stop fidgeting when I went to move my leg!

[Hidden]

SSame experience as you Elbows , both with the ' argh' and the fidgets!!

[Sharon1234567]

All I had was discomfort. As soon as I mentioned anything was painful more drugs were given. Sorry you had a bad experience.

[duckpopper]

hello I had ablation done when I was awake to , and yes I got the most awful pain in my chest for a few moments until I said that realy hurts , also the pain afterwards was realy painful ,but after some morphine I was fine . I also had a slight bleed around the heart but soon cleared up after a couple of days , anyone else had this .

[Emgee]

To duckpopper - I too had ablation this past April 28,and was awake. I experienced extrememe pain in my left collarbone (felt like a hot nail being driven through) I called out for the doctor - and told the nurse left beside me that I needed to see the doctor. I was frantic by this time. The nurse lightly massaged my collar bone which helped, but as soon as she stopped, the paint began again. She mentioned swelling, then went to my right collarbone to check if I was having a swelling occur there also, but said "no". - I if this was a normal occurance - and again she said "no" Finally ,when I was about to scream out for the procedure to stop - the doctor appeared, and assured me he would be giving me a sedative when he did the actual 'burn'. He said he'd located the exact spot that was setting off the SVTs for 37 years and now the A-Fib and he'd burn it off. I don't remember anything after that, but I awoke back in the cardiac care unit with drains in my chest and was told tmy heart had been punctured and was bleeding. I was told they'd be giving me medications to reduce the inflammation and bleeding. I watched as 2 bags of bloody liquid was removed and then the drains in my sternum were removed. I then suffered 18 hours of howling pain, (the big clock was right in front of my bed) and ccu didn't seem to know 'what' to give to alleviate it - except morphine, then gravol, which just made me spout like a fountain. I was told if the bleeding kept up it would restrict my heart and cause it to stop. My husband and sister were sent out of the room when my blood pressure dropped to a dangerous low.- but I was released a day or so later, when able to walk the hall once. The next day at home, my husband noticed I was having a stroke and was be rushed to a stroke center and given an injection of TCP. I was told I'd have to be sent to one of the major hospitals to have an opening made in my chest so they could repair my the heart bleed.

Fortunately, the bleeding ended on its own (or with the help of the meds)and the downtown hospital kept doing echos with contrast. I lost my appetite (apparently from taking strong doses of Ibuprofin 4 times a day). I was told afterwards I most probably had a stomach bleed from all the meds (hence the loss of appetite).

Thankfully, I made it through after 7 weeks in hospital and am now being monitored by my regular cardiologist while regaining my strength at home.

[Surreyhunni in reply to Emgee]

What a terrible ordeal for you Emgee. I am bitterly regretting my ablation I had early August as I have been left with phrenic nerve injury and I struggle to breath. I have been very poorly with pneumonia and a blood clot on the lung too. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

[Emgee in reply to Surreyhunni]

Thank you for your good wishes Surreyhunni. From your name I assume you live in Surrey, British Columbia? I only read about phrenic nerve injury after my ablation. Seems no one so far can explain to me why I suffered that horrific pain in the left collarbone during the procedure.

Had I know about tanponade, prrenic nerve damage, etc. I would have avoided the ablation also. I have been told my voice is now much softer than previous to the ablation and problems and I also have coughing spells even since.

The good news is, so far, the A-Fib seems to be gone and I've not had any SVT episodes either, although the cardiologist who has been my guide for a number of years now, said "Oh, it will come back"....it usually does". He also cannot tell me what could happen since I now had a kind of 'scab' over the top of my heart since it was pierced.

I wanted to know if vigorous exercise, etc. could cause the 'scab' to dislodge and allow bleeding again. Unfortunately, no clear answers...

You body may completely repair your phrenic nerve and you will be free of any breathing restrictions again. I think it is terrible to undergo a procedure to make things better, and then have something go wrong and end up in a worse condition. All the best to you, Emgee

[Surreyhunni in reply to Emgee]

Hi Emgee - No I am in Surrey in the south-east of England. What is your location?

I have read about collarbone pain from phrenic nerve injury and it said

Kehr's sign. ... Kehr's sign is a classic example of referred pain: irritation of the diaphragm is signalled by the phrenic nerve as pain in the area above the collarbone. This is because the supraclavicular nerves have the same cervical nerves origin as the phrenic nerve, C3 and C4.

I don't know if this helps you understand it?

I too have terrible coughing spells.

Thank you for your good wishes. I was readmitted to hospital a few days ago due to the pain I have had in my side/back under the ribs since the ablation and woke up with.

I had a ct scan on my chest which showed nothing other than the phrenic nerve injury (the Dr said they hadn't seen anyone as bad in ten years of working there ) but once I was discharged and at home I got a call from a different Dr who said they had reviewed the scan and found just at the edge there is an abnormality showing in my abdomen near the kidney.

I now need a ct scan of my abdomen and pelvis. They wouldn't say what they think it might be but Dr Google suggests it might be a cyst caused by the ablation (not uncommon apparently). This is my favoured diagnosis as I don't want to contemplate what else it might be.

[Emgee in reply to Surreyhunni]

Hello again Sureyihunni, Thanks for correcting me on your location -I am in Ontario, Canada. Also thanks for the information on the phrenic nerve and Kehr's sign. I will look into that.

I'm going soon to visit the neurologist to see what she has to say about the MRI she ordered on my left neck. I sincerely hope you will be told the abnormality found by your kidney is just a common cyst that will disappear on its own in a few weeks.

I am recovering well, but have been told the V-Fib and SVTs could come back - not good news or hope from my regular Cardiologist. I don't want any more V-Fib or SVTs from now on. I had a bit of a vibration this morning, but think it was from indigestion. Stopped the proton pump inhibitor that he had me on when I was being given all the other medications. I always felt my SVTs were set off by my vagal nerve over all those years. Be well,

Emgee

[Surreyhunni in reply to Emgee]

Thank you Emgee - good luck with the neurologist. You too be well x