SVT catheter ablation operation

I just had my cardiac ablation for SVT but I requested to be put to sleep. Do yourself a favor and do the same. Believe me you do not want to feel it when they make the palpitations start 2 or 3 times. Better off asleep. You feel nothing. My first day I didn't feel too great. Had a few funny feelings like possible palpitations but they never happened. The heart is irritated afterwards. It takes time to heal and everone is different. But I must say 3 days after my ablation I feel terrific. One helpful hint. Don't skip meals. Your heart will react a little but no palpitations. Today is my birthday and I could not have received a greater gift. It was a miracle for me after 42 years of living with arrythmias. Good luck to you.  

Your specialist has decided that you are suitable for an ablation and knows that it will probably get rid of horrible SVT forever. Having an ablation procedure is a tiny price to pay. Like anything you haven't experienced before, its bound to make you a bit apprehensive, but it'll be over with before you know it.

I have no medical qualifications whatsoever, but I would guess that having a general anaesthetic would make the procedure less likely to be successful, for the reasons Mary90 mentioned. You'll be given a strong sedative of some kind, so you'll be too woozy to worry about anything, and you'll also have a local anaesthetic so you won't feel any pain.

Sedatives, painkillers and anaesthetics don't work very effectively on me so I was wide awake and felt everything they did. The surgeon told me they were reluctant to go ahead with the procedure because the maximum dose of local anaesthetic could not numb the entry site, but I insisted they did it anyway. Really it was no big deal. I would rate just one SVT episode of the same duration as being worse than the ablation procedure. For example, you won't feel the extreme anxiety you get with SVT, and in your case the sedatives and anaesthetics will work so it'll be a doddle.

Try not to worry and instead of counting the days to the procedure count the days to when, like me, you'll say goodbye to SVT for good.

I don't doubt you'll be back on here afterwards convincing others to have an ablation!

All the best

Thanks very much for the replies, that does make me feel so much better.

​Yes the SVT is really annoying and quite scary at times, it will be amazing to be able to go on holiday or off out for the day without having to worry and it always being at the back of my mind.

​The operation doesn't sound too bad at all

Hi, I'm also awaiting ablation in a couple of months but I have read a lot about it. Please don't worry about the procedure. You won't feel anything and when they induce an attack it is only what you feel during an SVT attack anyway. The procedure is done by amazing people and outcome will be life changing for you. My attacks are becoming more frequent and more severe, so I'm very upbeat about having the ablation.

The doctor that is doing the operation did seem really nice, and was very reassuring that I will be ok.  I'm having it done in Stafford.

​I had my varicose veins treated last year, which was a cut in my leg, wire through the vein and then heated up to burn it.  Then little cuts all along my leg to hook out all the bits of vein left over.  An I had to stay awake for that too, but thats just because its quicker and cheaper awake and I couldn't afford the general aesthetic lol

​So this op is kind of a similar thing, but it's just with it being on your heart it seems more scary.

​Thanks everyone.  I hope everyone else waiting is ok too and has a good outcome

Definitely stay awake, they sedated me and couldn't trigger an svt. I was then woken up and they continued to try but didn't work. Since they couldn't trigger I've now been told I likely have a more complicated SVT, which is difficult to fix.

I made a video about my experience - Sarah Harvey SVT YouTube.

It's really not something to be too worried about. I received the type of anesthesia that allows them to wake you up quickly when they need to. I experienced no pain during or after the procedure. The only thing as someone else mentioned is that in the days after you may experience palpitations. Mine were brief like the SVT was trying to start but failing to do so. These did go away after a week. I don't feel worried anymore about the SVT starting up when I'm driving or traveling away from home. It's well worth getting the procedure. You may need to continue to take medication to control heart rate but that is a precaution.