Hi Twinktoes Welcome to Connect, I had VT prior to Heart transplant and was on Amiodarone and Mexiletine for most of the 10 years I had VT. Along with a pacemaker with difibulator. Towards the end of my heart issues it was getting very difficult to control my arrythmias, so my EP put me on Sotalol also. Not recommended by my pharmacist though but my EP was running out of options. I had a total of about 8 ablations and it came down to Heart Transplant. But wanted to offer my experience to your topic so I'm more than happy to answer any questions. This was more than 6 years ago so it looks like there are some newer medications as I have not heard of Toporol XL so I have no experience with that one.
Hi and yes mapping is always done first and is not evasive. its thru the mapping they decide if an ablation is needed. But they will probably get your permission to go ahead with the ablation if they find something. The mapping will be like an xray. They put multiple large patches on your back and chest. Then they with drugs try to get your heart to go into an arrythmia. If they can see some bad pathways which are causing the bad rhythm that's when they will do the ablations. The mapping part also includes a large xray type machine thats placed above you mostly over you chest.
Once they decide to do ablations then they will do this from inside your heart typically first. I have had 1 of my 8 ablations done from the outside of the heart thru the side of your chest wall but this one is very rare and usually done separate from the normal ones inside the heart.
They run a catheter up from your large arteries in your groin area usually, (but Ive heard it can be done from the neck also I never had one of those) for an ablation. once inside your heart they will with burning or freezing basically isolate the bad electrical pathway that's causing the arrythmia. there may be multiple ones to ablate is where the length of the surgery entails. Typically the last step is to try and cause an arrythmia and if they are unsuccessful then that's a great sign they got all the bad pathways. The process usually takes multiple hours and can last as long as 5 hours, one of mine did.
So I hope that's a bit of the process and please ask any questions you like.
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Goodness, you have been through it. Did you have mapping done before your procedure and what exactly did that entail?
Obviously 220bbm pretty high Heart monitor will record & send to dr Glad you’re with cardiologist Try to relax. They have wonder drugs these days.
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1 ReactionHi and yes mapping is always done first and is not evasive. its thru the mapping they decide if an ablation is needed. But they will probably get your permission to go ahead with the ablation if they find something. The mapping will be like an xray. They put multiple large patches on your back and chest. Then they with drugs try to get your heart to go into an arrythmia. If they can see some bad pathways which are causing the bad rhythm that's when they will do the ablations. The mapping part also includes a large xray type machine thats placed above you mostly over you chest.
Once they decide to do ablations then they will do this from inside your heart typically first. I have had 1 of my 8 ablations done from the outside of the heart thru the side of your chest wall but this one is very rare and usually done separate from the normal ones inside the heart.
They run a catheter up from your large arteries in your groin area usually, (but Ive heard it can be done from the neck also I never had one of those) for an ablation. once inside your heart they will with burning or freezing basically isolate the bad electrical pathway that's causing the arrythmia. there may be multiple ones to ablate is where the length of the surgery entails. Typically the last step is to try and cause an arrythmia and if they are unsuccessful then that's a great sign they got all the bad pathways. The process usually takes multiple hours and can last as long as 5 hours, one of mine did.
So I hope that's a bit of the process and please ask any questions you like.
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Helpful -
Hug
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