2nd ablation

I am going in for 2nd ablation in a few weeks. The doctor said it was necessary now to prevent heart failure from tachycardia. They are going to use general anesthesia instead of light sedation because I had a bad reaction to that last time. Has anyone done an ablation under general? Are they still going to be able to induce tachy with me completely out? I am very nervous because I had so many complications last time!

3 Comments

I had my 2nd AV node ablation

by janetinak - 2012-09-04 02:09:04

& was not awake. I don't think it was general anesthesia
but may have been. I was such a nervous wreck they probably gave me something stronger than the 1st time. Also to make sure it worked (had & still have Afib) I was given IV adrenalin to see if my heart rate went up (had a PM) & it didn't from IV meds. That is closest I came to what you are talking about. Hope it helps.

Janet

2nd ablation

by Acubarry - 2012-09-04 07:09:25

G'Day Nat. I had my second ablation on Thursday and although not a success it was far easier than the first. I too had real trouble with the first and insisted on a general anaesthetic for the second, both my cardiologist and my surgeon agreed to this, after a little persuasion. At the pre-op interview last Wednesday I checked again that all the team were OK with this request and that there would be no problem with the anaesthetic interfering with the investigation. I was again told it would all be OK. However at 6pm my cardiologist called and told me that she was recommending that the anaesthetic be withheld as she feared it would interfere with the procedure. She had reviewed the amount of drugs I had needed the first time to generate the required rhythms and apparently it was an awful lot, a lot more than usual, and as she said If I required that much when awake, there was no way of telling how much would be required when asleep. I must say I went to bed that night pretty damn angry.
On the Thursday I was introduced to the anesthetists who though not now going to anaesthetise me would stay throughout the procedure just in case things got too distressing and their services needed. It was an uncomfortable three hours but nothing like the first ablation and they were not needed.
So to answer your questions: have I had an ablation under general anaesthetic? Sorry but no (but I did try). 'Are they still going to be able to induce tachy with me completely out?' Hard to say, probably. A registrar in cardiology told me that when at a private clinic they did all the ablations under general anaesthetic.
What I'm trying to say is that my first ablation was horrific, the second though not a walk in the park was much easier, and they were doing the exact same things. Also (by and large) the electrophysiology people really know what they are doing and will make the right call in due time.
Hope some of this helps, and good luck. Baz

Thank you.

by nat36 - 2012-09-05 01:09:18

That is my main concern, that they will not be able to induce the problem with me asleep and the ablation will be unsuccessful. I also worry that the tachy will just come back if they are able to get it. I am just scared overall. Everything I have read says usually tachycardia does come back with sinus node ablutions. I hope I am not making a mistake in doing it again.

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