anyone had cardioablation surgery? How long before the palpatations subside?

Question

I can't find anyone whohas had this procedure, so I don't know if what I feel is normal. The DR says 'wait and see" It's soooo frustrating!!

Answer 1

It would be helpful if you knew more specifically what arrythmia your ablation was for....was it for an arrythmia that originated in the atria, near the AV node or in the ventricles? Sometimes, an ablation is incomplete. The radiofrequency "burning" can cause swelling in the tissue and mask the evidence of the arrythmia during the procedure, and the MD may believe the procedure was successful at that time. After the swelling goes down, some of the symptoms may return. This seems to happen more frequently in ventricular arrhythmias, when the long runs of fast heart beats are reduced to single extra beats.
For ablations of the upper chambers, I was under the impression, however, that if the ablation was completely successful, those subjective symptoms would be gone immediately.
Check out the website for the Heart Rhythm Society. It may give you better information.
Also, please be honest with yourself. If you are generally a tense, anxious person, you may simply be experiencing symptoms of anxiety.

Answer 2

I had the procedure on October 11, 2005 at Prairie Heart in Springfield Illinois. I still have palpitations. The cardiologist told me I would always feel like my heart was preparing to spin out, but I would not be able to do it because the bad pathway has been ablated.
I can handle the palpitations which sometimes drive me crazy, but I do not want any more of the heart rates over 200 beats per minute. Hope that helps.

Answer 3

an ablation is used to stop abnormal rhythms, and usually is effective immediately....tho I've heard of some people not responding for a day or two, I've not heard of it being effective after longer than that, and the client usually requires a pacemaker. However, palpitaions, or a pounding heart, does not necessarily indicate an abnormal rhythm, in fact you don't usually feel abnormal beats. Sounds to me like you might just need to relax and not obsess about it when your heart pounds. It could be that after the ablation your heart is finally pumping normally and that is what you feel, it would feel different to you because it wasn't beating normally before. As long as your doctor is following your recovery closely, I wouldn't worry about it.

Answer 4

I just had it done yesterday at New York Hospital in Queens. Now I'm back to a normal sinus rhythm. And I was discharged this morning. I am groggy and achy as can be right now. But thank you to the good folks at the Cardio-vascular unit at NYHQ.