Surgery anesthesia

Ablation for SVT (supra ventricular tachycardia)

by Gemita - 2022-09-16 06:40:13

Cadaverock, can we firstly confirm that you are going to have an ablation for your atrial tachy arrhythmia and you are asking about sedation for the duration of the procedure?

For us nervous types, I think it is important that we are comfortable and largely unaware of the procedure, since I am assuming you will not wish to be aware of what is going on?   I would make sure that your doctors know all about your wishes.

Some patients ask for conscious sedation where we feel completely relaxed and may even fall asleep during the procedure which would be safer than having a general anaesthetic (GA). Some hospitals over here in the UK offer a GA for an ablation, indeed even for a pacemaker implant.  I was given a GA for my implant, but deep sedation for my electrophysiology study to map my arrhythmias.  Yes you are correct, to keep our airways open during a GA they do have to use a breathing tube and recovery is a lot longer or certainly delayed. 

I will always ask for sufficient “deep sedation” which usually keeps me asleep throughout the whole procedure.  Have a look at the following link which explains about sedation, including a general anaesthetic:-

https://rcoa.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2022-06/12-SedationExp2021web.pdf

If there is anything you don't understand about the ablation procedure or the type of sedation you will be given, it is important that you let your doctors know.  Hopefully they have given you an indication of the duration of the procedure, the risks, the intended benefits.  You still sound as though you don't understand what is going on and this concerns me.  Good luck and please let us know how everything goes

general anesthesia

by Tracey_E - 2022-09-16 10:42:57

If they use a general, you will have a breathing tube.They prefer not to do this if they don't have to.

Anesthetic

by AgentX86 - 2022-09-17 00:41:02

This is something you should discuss with your EP ahead of time.  It's highly doubtful that they'll do a general because of the risk and the need for intubation. It's not called for with a procedure this simple.

I've had a heart cath, three ablations, an AV ablation, and a carotid angoiogram. The heart cath and one of the ablations was done under twilight sedation.  The rest were done with only local anesthetic.  One of the ablations was rather painful (felt like a soldering iron drawing on my back) but nothing compared to the twilight sedation where I wasn't really sedated, just chilling, when they did a DCCV.  That hurt like hell and I told them what I thought about their parentage.

Carotid angiograms (it was supposed to be a stent) have to be done with the patient fully conscious because they have to respond to instructions during the procedure to make sure nothing has broken free from the arterial walls and caused a stroke.

I've had all sorts

by TLee - 2022-09-17 10:50:24

I don't even know what kinds of sedation I've had for various procedures, but I wish they were all like whatever they gave me during cardioversion. One minute I'm chatting with the nurse, the next thing I know I'm sitting there wondering when the whole thing is going to start & they told me it was done! Ablation was a bit different--as far as I know I was completely out, because I "woke up" in recovery & felt very groggy. Pacemaker insertion, when they actually make an incision & root around, I was awake for the whole thing (and pretty uncomfortable). I wish I knew which was which, so I could ask for the good stuff for any future procedures, but I guess it is up to the doctors anyway. Don't worry though, ablation wasn't bad. The worst part was lying in one position for hours afterward, with arthritic hips and back.