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Ablation or not

chris45558 profile image
16 Replies

I was due to have an ablation in November but due to a high temperature they couldn't do it.

I'm now due one on the 14th Jan. The thing is for weeks now I've had no issues or episodes of SVT.

I have changed a few things like not being in work and regular rest.

Really not sure what to do about having an ablation.

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chris45558 profile image
chris45558
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16 Replies

Always a difficult one Chris, but all the evidence suggests that sadly, AF doesn't disappear .......

Franbikerider profile image
Franbikerider

Agree with FlapJack Chris, there’s always that bump in the road to set it off again. Go for it....

JaneFinn profile image
JaneFinn

Hi chris, I sympathise with your dilemma - I’m in a similar boat :) (Though mine’s for AF, I think yours is SVT? If so, I believe it’s reassuring that that the success rate for SVT ablations is so good?)

I’m sorry I can’t advise, but sending you support in making your decision.

If you go ahead, I wish you a totally smooth procedure, with perfect results :) x

chris45558 profile image
chris45558 in reply to JaneFinn

Thank you

jeanjeannie50 profile image
jeanjeannie50

It's quite normal to get the 'shall I or shan't I have an ablation' thought as it draws near. When did you have your last bout of AF?

Jean

chris45558 profile image
chris45558 in reply to jeanjeannie50

Hi . I don't get AF in have SVT which have always reverted back on its own. Last one was 3 weeks ago.

jeanjeannie50 profile image
jeanjeannie50 in reply to chris45558

That wasn't long ago then. Have you heard that the EP who's doing your procedure has good results with SVT? I've had 3 ablations and still have AF, but not so bad.

It's a decision only you can make.

7164 profile image
7164

Chris

I thought that I was winning against my Af with lifestyle changes then a week ago bang it came back. Go for it and best of luck

barbara2 profile image
barbara2

I was successfully treated with an ablation for SVT. I'd do it!! Here's what I found:

RF catheter ablation of SVT is a well-established treatment in invasive electrophysiology with a primary success rate of more than 90% in all substrates. SVT ablation specifically targets the electroanatomical substrate, such as the slow pathway in AVNRT, the accessory pathway in AVRT or an ectopic focus in EAT.

And also:

After SVT ablation, most people see an improvement in their quality of life. But there's a chance your fast heartbeat may return. In these cases, you may need to have SVT ablation again or may need other treatment.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

lovetogarden profile image
lovetogarden

I have to call and reschedule an ablation for SVT after postponing it last fall for more urgent (and totally unrelated) surgery. Just picking up the phone to reschedule it is hard for me, let alone going through with it. But if your dr thinks it can help and you've got a date scheduled, it's worth a try. Best of luck and wishing you well!

Morzine profile image
Morzine

Awe I’d go for it, you’ve nothing to loose it’s a day out of your life.....and so much good time to gain......even if you’ve nit had too many issues.....I was the same, but I saw it as a bonus ball to grasp......I had last minute worry’s cos it’s the heart beung fiddled with but I found out from here it’s a pretty normal proceedure these days. I think the thing ablation dud fir me uts given me peace of mind and I thought the other day how little I take my pulse now or think about my heart......that’s the difference....before my heart was in the back of my mind daily.....

Your decision though....we’re all diferent......if you go for it I wish you a nice long success..........

Sue

Fazerboy profile image
Fazerboy

I was in a similar position. I had SVT (AVNRT). I put off having an ablation for about a year then my episodes of SVT got more regular, lasted longer and were difficult to stop. I went on Bisoprolol (1.25mg) for a while which stopped the SVT but I was tired all the time. I asked on here as to whether anyone regretted having an an ablation and no one did. As above, I think ablation for SVT is more successful than for AF. I had my ablation in Oct 19 and although I still consider myself to be in the recovery period I am ok, not on any meds. I had mine with local anaesthetic (all ok, no problem at all). One thing to query, they told me that there was a 1% chance of needing a pacemaker if there was a problem with the ablation. I took the risk.

Another point that convinced me, if they can't trigger the svt then they won't ablate anyway. If they can trigger it then it would come back at some stage so ablation is the answer. I also had the view that the sooner they ablate the better in that it stops the rogue electrical pathway from developing.

chris45558 profile image
chris45558

Thanks for the positive messages

Bambi65 profile image
Bambi65

Momma always told me..... "when in doubt, Dont"

So I dont make decisions, out of fear since is influences my judgement, and hindsight always reminds me, and reinforces me of this.

However, when I have made a decision, not an emotional one, based on the facts at that time, there is a confidence that generates serenity.

Try this to see if you can make your Afib come and go ...

----------------------------------

After 9 years of trying different foods and logging EVERYTHING I ate, I found sugar (and to a lesser degree, salt – i.e. dehydration) was triggering my Afib. Doctors don't want to hear this - there is no money in telling patients to eat less sugar. Each person has a different sugar threshold - and it changes as you get older, so you need to count every gram of sugar you eat every day (including natural sugars in fruits, etc.). My tolerance level was 190 grams of sugar per day 8 years ago, 85 grams a year and a half ago, and 60 grams today, so AFIB episodes are more frequent and last longer (this is why all doctors agree that afib gets worse as you get older). If you keep your intake of sugar below your threshold level your AFIB will not happen again (easier said than done of course). It's not the food - it's the sugar (or salt - see below) IN the food that's causing your problems. Try it and you will see - should only take you 1 or 2 months of trial-and-error to find your threshold level. And for the record - ALL sugars are treated the same (honey, refined, agave, natural sugars in fruits, etc.). I successfully triggered AFIB by eating a bunch of plums and peaches one day just to test it out. In addition, I have noticed that moderate (afternoon) exercise (7-mile bike ride or 5-mile hike in the park) often puts my Afib heart back in to normal rhythm a couple hours later. Don’t know why – perhaps you burn off the excess sugars in your blood/muscles or sweat out excess salt?? I also found that strenuous exercise does no good – perhaps you make yourself dehydrated??

I'm pretty sure that Afib is caused by a gland(s) - like the Pancreas, Thyroid (sends signals to the heart to increase speed or strength of beat), Adrenal Gland (sends signals to increase heart rate), Sympathetic Nerve (increases heart rate) or Vagus Nerve (decreases heart rate), Hypothalamus Gland or others - or an organ that, in our old age, is not working well anymore and excess sugar or dehydration is causing them to send mixed signals to the heart - for example telling the heart to beat fast and slow at the same time - which causes it to skip beats, etc. I can't prove that (and neither can my doctors), but I have a very strong suspicion that that is the root cause of our Afib problems. I am working on this with a Nutritionist and hope to get some definitive proof in a few months.

Also, in addition to sugar, if you are dehydrated - this will trigger AFIB as well. It seems (but I have no proof of this) that a little uptick of salt in your blood is being treated the same as an uptick of sugar - both cause AFIB episodes. (I’m not a doctor – it may be the sugar in your muscles/organs and not in your blood, don’t know). In any case you have to keep hydrated, and not eat too much salt. The root problem is that our bodies are not processing sugar/salt properly and no doctor knows why, but the AFIB seems to be a symptom of this and not the primary problem, but medicine is not advanced enough to know the core reason that causes AFIB at this time. You can have a healthy heart and still have Afib – something inside us is triggering it when we eat too much sugar or get (even a little) dehydrated. Find out the core reason for this and you will be a millionaire and make the cover of Time Magazine! Good luck! - Rick Hyer

PS – there is a study backing up this data you can view at:

https//cardiab.biomedcentral.com/a...

chris45558 profile image
chris45558 in reply to

Hi thanks for your reply. My SVT as only been brought on by food. Most of tone it has been a result of I at something fast then put my body armour on (I'm a Police Officer ) and it starts. I was given a couple of syrings to use and with these have brought my rhythm back to normal.

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