Failed to induce svt for ablation

[ninusl1]

I have suffered from svt since a kid, now 50+. Half a year ago the ambulance recorded the svt for the first time in my life. Yesterday I thought they could induce the svt and ablate but they could not trigger it. Now I am totally depressed and on medication again. There is so little information about not being able to trigger the svt. Anyone else had the same, and what happened then?

[Hidden]

I had an ablation for AF a few years back but they had to abort because they couldn't trigger it. EP told me they tried everything and more, but to no effect. I'm just back on drugs now which are working well so alls well with me. Not sure when if I'll be offered another ablation. I'll have to wait till the drugs stop working, if they do, I guess.

Koll

[ninusl1 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. Good to hear you are doing fine on meds!

[DCCa]

I too felt really depressed after the failed ablation. I was recovering but then had quite a bad episode so have started taking 2.5mg of Bisoprolol daily which is what I was on before the ablation- I feel much better now as my heart was fluttering all over the place before. I have to see an arrhythmia nurse in a few weeks so will see what s/he says!

[ninusl1 in reply to DCCa]

I am sorry for that. Seems it does happen a lot. Problem was I did not think this would be the outcome. Hope there still is something to do!

[DCCa in reply to ninusl1]

Same, I pinned all my hopes on being cured & to end up still taking the tablets is incredibly frustrating but I am just now coming to terms with it.

The downside is being tired, lack of sleep & can't seem to lose weight which I have put on since taking the tablets!

[Ninetyninepercent in reply to DCCa]

I know the feeling. I too pinned hopes on the ablation cure as it was explained as it was a 99% possibility. And my cardiologists were unabashedly optimistic.

[meadfoot]

I had the same experience as you. Very disappointing. Two and a half years on I am on same meds and managing.

[HTrace]

I had an EPS on Friday and they were unable to trigger SVT. I'm 43 and have had SVT since I was 19 but was only diagnosed about 2 years ago. My episodes are pretty infrequent but over 230bpm when they do happen so quite debilitating. After an hour of unsuccessfully trying to trigger SVT, the cardiologist told me that although I was clearly disappointed (I was trying not to cry), it was good news and my heart is otherwise very healthy. I am just starting to get my head around living with the uncertainty of when it might happen again and unsure of what the consultant said would happen next, as I was a bit woozy after the sedative they gave me. I only get SVT when I am really relaxed and immediately after a big drop in blood pressure so I wonder if that's why speeding up my heart didn't have the desired effect. I don't take regular meds due to the infrequency of the episodes and the fact my blood pressure is generally pretty low and beta-blockers make that worse. I'm feeling pretty fed up, especially as I still have to recover from the incision in my right groin despite not having undergone an ablation. As you wrote your post a year ago, do you mind me asking what happened afterwards?

[Sbsu in reply to HTrace]

I am in exact same boat- failed procedure yesterday- why make an incision if it is not going to work

[Nicole1229 in reply to HTrace]

I am 43 and just went in two days ago to have my procedure. I woke up excited it was done only to hear that it was unsuccessful. I was so depressed. I just wanted my abnormal, exhausting heart rhythms gone. I want to be able to have proper oxygen levels when I run so I can go more than fifteen seconds before I feel like my hearts gonna burst. I am considering trying again before end of year. I'll keep you all posted.

[Ninetyninepercent]

I had a failed ablation 2016. I had an svt episode Dec 2017. They had difficulty triggering SVT in the Cath lab and when they did the location was too close to the sinus node. I am taking flecainide 50mg 2x a day and nadalol 1x a day. My ep says they can try again but that would be a great risk to create heartblock then requiring a pacemaker.

I got a second opinion and that Dr is very willing to try again.

So it's up to me with conflicting Dr opinions.

I am 49 and have had noticeable AVNRT SVT episodes since I was 36.

I don't know what's next. Flecainide is new to me (may 2018) so I am waiting to see if I have another episode. I am very tired with the meds.

It's beyond frustrating.

I wish you luck with your svt management.

[JackieAVNRT in reply to Ninetyninepercent]

I think I would go with repeat procedure. My dad had a pacemaker. definitely and it saved his life and prolonged his life and he said it never bothered him, couldn't even see it. I had SVT but sometimes the adenosine would throw me in to AFib. You are still young and these episodes can get worse with other health issues and age. Sometimes it takes repeat procedures to get it.

[ninusl1]

Dear HTrace, unfortunately I have had episodes after the ablation and I have had to call the ambulance twice. I am constantly worried and getting panik attacks regarding when that will happen again. I am on 7.5 mg Bisoprolol/day. My cardiologist said maybe one could try to do an ablation again at some time, but since they don't know exactly where it is really demanding.

[JackieAVNRT]

I had a very experienced electrophysiologist with a high success rate, which I think makes a world if a difference. But, even he had a hard time getting mine to start. He said he had to use a ton if adrenaline to get it to go, and he emphasized that. But after 3 hours, and his patience got it to go and successfully ablated the area. I had a common type of SVT found in women, AVNRT. I've been doing well since January 9th and off medication. There is only a 10 to 15 percent chance of recurrence and that's due to it being hard to get started. O guess it all depends on type of SVT. AFib has a cure rate of only 60 percent or so, but cure rate percentage increases with repeat procedures, which nobody wants to do and just say it never worked after the first procedure.

[ninusl1]

Oh thats incredible to hear that after all they got it. I have my second ablation attempt tomorrow and I am scared to death that even this time it will be a failure

[avma in reply to ninusl1]

Hi,

Did you get your second ablation and did it work out alright for you?

[ninusl1 in reply to avma]

Hi, yes it was done although svt was not triggered until they actually ablated. So it is hard to know the success because of the infrequent svt:s. In a year I will knöw.