Atrial Tachycardia ablation

[lovetogarden]

Has anyone here had an ablation for atrial tachycardia after they’ve had afib ablations? I’m curious to know if that ablation was any different than your afib ablation? I’ve had 3 afib ablations and it seems they’ve resolved the afib and flutter (knock on wood). But they’ve left me with more regular old atrial tachycardia than I had before this whole journey began 8 years ago. 

My EP said they tried really hard to trigger the tachycardia during the last ablation, but didn’t succeed. This has left me wondering if I should go to a bigger facility in a big city  (I’m in the US) or just stick with local (mid sized city) options. My EP says that the triggering is going to be the same issue whenever I go. But I do wonder if larger ablation centers have different technology for all of this. Anyone with any experience of this type of ablation?

[BobD Volunteer]

After three ablations for AF and ten years arhythmia free I developed paroxysmal ATach and had an ablation for that in 2019. My EP (a top man in London) was delighted that he found five sites triggering but it was not successful in that my "normal " resting rate ended up between 85 and 110. Nebivolol to reduce it sometimes lead to bradycardia resulting in presyncope so I ended up with a pacemaker in August last year. Sometime best to quit whilst you are ahead

[lovetogarden in reply to BobD]

yikes! So, he found the sites triggering it and successfully ablated them? But that left you with the high resting heart rate? I remembered you had received a pacemaker, didn’t realize the connection.

[DKBX]

After two ablations for Afib, I developed atypical tachycardia (left atria tachy). Two more ablations and five dccv later, I stay in NSR by a thread. Fortunately the tachy has few symptoms so I just breathe when it hits, remind myself to minimize stroke risk, and carry on until I get the next dccv or ablation. I have a good team at Lovelace Heart Hospital in ABQ so it’s just a matter of trust that all that can be done is done. After that, it’s get on with living! Minimize triggers if you have them, live the healthy lifestyle, stay anticoagulated, minimize anxiety, and breathe.

[lovetogarden in reply to DKBX]

Just read your profile, so sorry you’ve had so many major ups and downs with this journey. So frustrating. Hope you can find a balance that works for you.

[Snowgirl65]

My recent ablation on December 5th was originally for tachycardia, but when "inside," and after trying to trigger it with no success, it was found my problem was with regular a-fib instead (a vein had grown around a previous ablation scar). The procedure for that took longer than what would have been a tachycardia ablation, I was told.

[lovetogarden in reply to Snowgirl65]

So great they were bake to pinpoint the source and fix it! Hooray. My last ablation, in 2020, seems to have fixed the afib. I think the EP who did that ablation was far more patient and painstaking than the previous EP. The previous one just bluntly said “no more ablations, meds for life” while he was standing in the doorway and slammed the door behind him…. Sadly, my current EP, the patient one, is no longer doing procedures.

[Snowgirl65 in reply to lovetogarden]

My first EP was like yours, totally dismissive and botched my ablation. My current one is much better trained. I guess the key is to find a good one and stick with him.! Best wishes to you, lovetogarden, because I love to (garden) as well!

[lovetogarden in reply to Snowgirl65]

glad you found a good EP! And hope all goes well with healing from your last ablation. Need to be back in shape for gardening season!

[Snowgirl65 in reply to lovetogarden]

Ha ha -- yes indeed! Guess I should get back to exercising again soon for gardening season. However, we're to get 6 inches of snow tomorrow. Spring won't happen anytime soon over here!

[lovetogarden in reply to Snowgirl65]

I’ve been running (slowly!) on my treadmill and doing upper body weights (getting my body “shovel ready” lol!) and now have shin splints. 😢 Snow expected here too. Just had 8 inches over the weekend. I guess, I could shovel some of that…. But I won’t. Good luck with getting back into garden shape!

[Snowgirl65 in reply to lovetogarden]

And the same to you!