More problems...

Hi All
Just for a little background - I am a tricky case as my EP says. I had a six hour long and ultimately failed ablation for SVT. Afterwards, my heart started pausing and skipping beats which led to my PM placement 4 weeks after. I have found through my recent procedures that I do not respond to Versed and was awake for my ablation, PM placement and a TEE that I had a few weeks post surgery. Has anyone used anything different? Being awake for the PM implant wasnt terrible, just uncomfortable. The ablation on the other hand is not something I want to go through again awake.

After a follow up visit a few weeks back it was found that my rhythm has again evolved and turned into atrial flutter with frequent PVCs. We had planned another ablation for this, until.......... I was called last night by my nurse and she announced that I also had RV lead failure. Biotronik notified them right away.

I am nervous... so young, and will likely have at least two more surgeries in the near future (lead extraction/replacement and a second ablation). I know folks go through worse, but it is frightening to me. I've only been battery controlled for six months! Seems my luck is non existant. Everytime I see my EP something new comes up... I am just hopeful for a quiet, long life after this.

Des

3 Comments

Been there, been awake . . .

by SaraTB - 2015-06-24 03:06:26

your story sounds familiar: ablation for SVT, resulting in arrythmia and a pacemaker. I, too, had a reaction to Versed on the table, preparing for the ablation and had to be pumped full of Benedryl to counteract it. They then used Fentanyl instead - I was awake for the procedure, but sedated. At one point I began to feel pain and was able to tell them ("hurts!" was about what I said) and they sorted it out with more.

When my pacemaker was replaced 7 years later, they said they didn't like using Fentanyl (different hospital) and would use Propofol instead. Again, I was awake but sedated, and had no bad reaction at all. Used the same thing when I had a colonoscopy a couple of years later.

You have my sympathies for all you're going through: not what you'd have chosen, but it'll resolve in the end!

AWAKE

by gleesue - 2015-06-24 03:06:51

Depending on the type of ablation you had, you may be awake during the procedure. The EP can put you in and out of arrhythmias and ask you what you are feeling. I had one that lasted 9 1/2 hours and at 10:30pm I asked them to let my wife know it's taking a little longer than expected. Didn't finish up until 12:30am.

Don't worry, sometimes it takes a while to get it all fixed. I've had 4 ablations and may need another in the future because some things are going on with my heart. But they do a good job of keeping us going. They've been keeping me going since 1991 when my problems started. Just need a tune up once in a while.

Jerry

So Awful!

by kbell - 2015-06-28 07:06:25

Hello Des,
I am so sorry you went through that. I had 3 EP studies with ablations. The first 2 were OK, I was mildly sedated but bored beyond belief. Then I was allowed to bring an MP3 player for music and audiobooks which helped alot. Deep sedation (Propofol,Fentanyl,etc) was just for the last 15 minutes when they actually ablated the heart. My 3rd time around they avoided using that and it was barbaric torture. I was ablated with 22 applications causing crushing chest pain into my arm and back, even up into my jaw on a 10 out of 10 pain scale but they just kept going. Eventually I figured out that it's the job of the nurse closest to me to keep me still. If you wiggle your foot or bend a knee they WILL BEG for the doc to authorize more meds. I am a calm person but I had nightmares for months. Two years later I had to get a PM but was relieved that it was only for a slowed sinus node and no ablation was involved. I still discussed specific IV drugs beforehand and made sure they had a viable plan for pain control and it went very well.

You know you're wired when...

You trust technology more than your heart.

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