PVS

[jt85]

Hi, if anyone going for ablation, pls be careful of the complication after like pulmonary vein stenosis.

[jeanjeannie50]

Can you please tell us a little more about why you are telling us this. Has it happened to you?

[jedimasterlincoln]

This wasn't mentioned as one of my risk factors for any of my 5 ablations to the the best of my recollection, so I'd be interested to see how yours came about and what it was attributed to.

[jt85]

Yes. It happen to my wife now. And we are facing a bigger problem cause it’s rare. I want you all to be aware of this complication. We are now looking for a doctor whose has the experience to resolve those veins.

[bantam12]

I'm put off having ablation with the problems people seem to have afterwards 😕

[BobD Volunteer in reply to bantam12]

Remember that only people with problems come here. All the success stories are off enjoying life.

[bantam12 in reply to BobD]

Yep you are right but knowing my luck !

[Dawsonmackay in reply to bantam12]

I had 3 ablations and zero complications.

[bantam12 in reply to Dawsonmackay]

Thanks, good to hear they do work.

[BobD Volunteer]

This was explained as a possible side affect of my three ablations which is actually rather strange. PVS is when the pulmonary vein becomes injured by being too close to the burns and closes up to some degree it was explained. Symptoms were similar to pneumonia I was told.

OK so why is cryo ablation where they stick a baloon down the vein and freeze not causing it? Anybody understand the science here?

[Ppiman in reply to BobD]

My doctor told me the problem used to occur when doctors burned too close to the pulmonary vein entry point. It would be a life changing problem, I feel sure.

Now, however, he told me, they ablate in a circle inside the atrium around the vein and he has never personally known stenosis to happen in eight years of carrying out the procedure.

[jt85 in reply to Ppiman]

Hi. Thanks you for the informations.

[Rocky-athlete]

Greetings Jt85. I have PVS from my first ablation, discovered in a CT for the 2nd ablation (ablations 1/18 and 12/18) It was diagnosed as moderate in the LIPV and mild in another. I am curious what you have learned. I have had three chest infections in nine months, a persistent dry cough, and dyspnea on moderate to heavy exertion (very slow running on level terrain). I am just now connecting all of those symptoms and am interested in corresponding with others in a similar situation. I have read that some get stents.

[jt85 in reply to Rocky-athlete]

Hi, from what you described , is very similar to mine but mine is more serious. my guess is your pulmonary veins has narrowed and the blood flow from the lung to the heart is not normal and is weighing on your lungs. You may have to take anti cloaked medicine and then do a ballon or stent to your narrowed PV and all the symptoms should go away. For PVS, usually Stent is the first option and if serious cause, minimally surgery. Suggest you have a second opinion

[Rocky-athlete in reply to jt85]

Yes, I’ve read a peer-reviewed article stating that a stent works better than balloon angiography.

Have you had either done? What symptoms were you having? How long ago was your ablation?

I’m a 55 yo male in Wyoming. I had ablations in Utah and at Duke in North Carolina. I was an ultra runner, which contributed to AFib.

Thanks for writing.

[jt85 in reply to Rocky-athlete]

Hi

How are you doing. It’s not me but my Wife who is suffering. She’s 50 and her other symptoms include carrying things, talking and romance. All these make her breathless. The doctors here can try work on it but none have done it before. They just tell me , we’ve to make our own choice. Either ballon, stent or surgery. We are in a dilemma.

[Rocky-athlete]

Where are you located? One thing I’ve found repeatedly in the research is that it can be worth traveling to a “high-volume center,” meaning a hospital and surgeon who has done many of them. I know that is true for ablations and suspect it is true for a PV stent.

[jt85 in reply to Rocky-athlete]

Hi, I am from Singapore. A country with 4-5 million people. My Doctors said Cleveland hospital USA is the best to go. Your country. It’s so far away and not sure if. I ve connected with one in Australia who I found out from YouTube. Now it’s either treated at home with Doctors who got no experience or to go overseas.

[Rocky-athlete in reply to jt85]

Hi JT.

I was just in Singapore for business (24 May to 2 June)! It was my first trip there and I loved it, except I got sick on the way home.

I live in the Rocky Mountains now, but grew up in Cleveland. Cleveland Clinic is the very best cardiology clinic in the US, with many famous people coming from overseas for treatment. Mayo, Cedars-Sinai, NY Presbyterian, and Mass General round out the top 5. See US News and World Report best Hospital rankings, then look for cardiology.

I went to a hospital in Utah for my first ablation, then Duke (#15) for the second one. The PVS happened in the first ablation and was discovered in a CT scan right before the second.

There are direct flights to Los Angeles (Cedars-Sinai) and New York, among others. Flying anywhere in the Continental US takes another 1-2 hours, not including the layover. If it were me, I’d want to rest before and after surgery.

PLEASE, let me know if I can assist.

I am not familiar with Australian options. What about Bangkok or Europe? I would ask the specific question about steering a PULMONARY vein before committing.

Rick

[Rocky-athlete in reply to Rocky-athlete]

Steering = stenting!

[jt85 in reply to Rocky-athlete]

Hi, thanks for all the informations. Going US , Cleveland is the best but there is a lot of what if..... spoken to one cardiologist here and he said the biggest stent is still not to the PV diameter. And he needs to order from USA and takes 3 weeks to arrive. Any way decided to go along with one cardiologist who suggested he will go in and see and try to do whatever he could as a first step. He may do a ballon, Stent or nothing.