SVT AVNRT ablation

[stagecoach]

A month ago my EP added me to the list for an electro study and ablation with a 3-4 month waiting list and at the time I asked if there were any cancellations to consider me. A week ago I was offered an ablation for this monday (2 days ago) and I took it. Now at home recovering. AVNRT successfully ablated and was told that I no longer need to take Flecainide or my calcium channel blocker but I have to remain on Apixaban. It's worth asking to be considered for a cancellation. if you are in a queue.

[Desanthony]

Absolutely and this goes for anything you are waiting for - scans etc. I have found that at this time a lot of people have cancelled because of Covid and I was offered my ablation last month but couldn't take it up because I was spending time with my recently widowed sister and a month later they come up with the date again - even though they said they would have to put me at the end of the list.

[Fmak]

Hi Stagecoach

Great news that the ablation went successfully? How often would you get your episodes pre ablation? Would you get really high BPM? I myself also have AVNRT but the A-typical type, went for an ablation for 2016 which failed even though was promised a 95% success rate, guess i was part of the unlucky ones? I get frequent episodes now that i need to live with , accompanied by some unexplained chest pain and discomfort , and i am on and off on flecainide , but always supplement with magensium

Would be great to hear from you

[stagecoach in reply to Fmak]

Hi Fmak,

Prior to my AF ablation I got short arrhymthias which my cardiologist suspected were SVT but never captured and confirmed. It would come on after exercise - frequent, at least once every 2 month, but always short episodes.This has been going on for about 30 years. I then had AF episode diagnosed in a&e and then an AF ablation the following year. 3 month post ablation I captured a number of episodes on my Kardia, each 180-200bpm, each short and these were put down to possible atrial tachycardia. put back on Felcainide at a high dose (100mg twice a day) and then nothing until I reduced the dose. A couple of further episodes at 180-200bpm which were short and then a 4 hour one at 205bpm that I went to A&E, all in the space of a few days. that was the first confirmed SVT diagnosis. Discussed with EP and he thought that possibly I'd had AVNRT all along as well as AF so we should try an EP study and SVT ablation first rather than full AF redo. He confirmed AVNRT and ablated it. Time will tell if it has been truly successful but I'm optimistic

Anti arrhthmics were good at supressing my SVTs .

If you are having chest pains you should seek medical help. Sorry the ablation didn't work for you, are you going for a redo ablation?

[Fmak in reply to stagecoach]

Thanks for the reply!

The first ablation have gave me a good 4 year run i would say with soem hiccups, unfortunatley now im on the downard spiral with more frequent and longer episodes.. so another ablation is inevitable down the line if the anti-arryhtmics dont do the job.. just worried about ending up with a pacemaker... its a long journey, so will hope for the best always

[Larachez2102 in reply to stagecoach]

My heart rate goes exactly the same with svt. Currently waiting for a ablation. How often did you get yours. Mine normally last 7-20 mins but I had one Friday lasted 1 hour 45 mins. I was terrified

[Sebhel]

Yes,7 years ago: My EP explained: 1) Stroke risk without... 2) Bleed risk with Apixaban? 3) Subtract!

I was really scared but someone told me to ask EP to imagine I was his father... He said he would still say take it! I was so careful at first, (paranoid) but now just ordinary careful

I have since seen friends who had strokes... Terrifying!

[Maggimunro]

Totally agree about going ahead with a cancellation. That’s how I managed to get all my 3 done in an 11 month period during 2016-17

[Larachez2102]

Hi can I ask with your svt attacks what was your heart rate mine is 210 and takes forever to get back to normal. Feel so alone in this I’m so scared. I’m in the waiting list for the ablation

[stagecoach in reply to Larachez2102]

Hi Larachez2102, welcome to the forum.

I recorded heart rates of 205 over a period of 4 hours before I went to A&E and got converted back to sinus rhythm with adenisone. I was told at A&E and by the arrhythmia nurses to go to A&E if I got such sustained heart rates for over an hour the next time. Do you have arrhythmia nurses you can talk to to stop you feeling alone?

Have you been given anything to help when you get episodes, like Flecainide? Do you know how to do the valsalva maneuvre? My svt episodes mostly self terminated or the valsalva stopped them. I only went to A&E once for SVT.

Yes they are unpleasant but not really something to be scared of. How long have you been on the waiting list and have you asked for a cancellation? The ablation itself is straightforward and it fixed my SVT. I haven't had one for 4 months now and I haven't had AF for 21 months. I wish I'd been offered an ablation in my 30s...

[Larachez2102]

Thank you for the reply. My first time going to hospital was Friday and that was 2 hours at a rate of 220 then it stopped suddenly on the way but Iv been having extra beats since all day everyday. I’m not sure how to do that vsalva. Nope they haven’t put me on any medication, been put on the list as of last Friday because I have one at least a month. It scares me and I live on my nerves amd suffer extreme anxiety so none of this helps. How long have you suffered for. Is it normal to get them. I have so many questions.

[stagecoach in reply to Larachez2102]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had arrhythmias for about 30 years before it was definitively diagnosed as SVT. I used to swim a lot and I had my first attack while swimming. Had them for short periods every couple of months since then. After 30 years you get used to them, well I did anyway... The most frustrating thing was that they only lasted for short periods so getting anything captured in an ecg for a diagnosis was impossible. It never happened whenever I had an ECG or a heart monitor.

Whilst in A&E I was given a syringe to blow into for at least 15 seconds. This is a variant of the valsalva, I'd look it up and try it next time you get one.

You need to address your anxiety. Anxiety doesn't help extra beats, it makes you more aware of your heart and you worry more about your heart so you get more extra beats. Breathing exercises and midfulness help, search healthunlocked for breathing and anxiety. Talk to your GP, perhaps they can help.. and ask loads of questions of the wider healthunlocked community. Everyone has different experiences and if you ask your own question everyone gets to see it, if you respond to a post like mine, only the post author or casual readers of the question will get to see it.

This group of people have been great for sharing advice and knowledge.

[Larachez2102 in reply to stagecoach]

Thank you so much. Mine last 7-20 mins normally and stop. But that one I had was the worse one. Iv got a ecg recording on my Apple Watch thankfully so I managed to record it. The blowing in the syringe I couldn’t do as I was almost passing out. Thank you for your reply’s.