Visual aura following ablation

Several months ago there was a post related to this. I did not respond, but now that Dr. Natale is using CT scans to replace some TEES post Watchman, I have been thinking about this. Before my ablation with Dr. Natale, I had a CT with contrast. He proceeded with the 2 1/2 hour ablation once he had the scan results. All went well with the ablation. However, the night of the the ablation and the night following, I did not sleep because I was having eye hallucinations. I mentioned it to the folks before I was discharged, but they did not think much of it.

I am wondering what might have caused this…side effects of the ablation or the CT scan with contrast. I am debating if I should go with the TEE in six months, which would mean traveling or if I should have the CT scan done locally and risk getting the hallucinations again.

Any thoughts?

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Pixie
I am wondering what might have caused this…side effects of the ablation or the CT scan with

contrast. I am debating if I should go with the TEE in six months, which would mean traveling or if I should have the CT scan done locally and risk getting the hallucinations again.

Any thoughts?

I believe that the consensus is that these “auras” are associated with the transseptal puncture rather than CT scans with contrast though no one seems to know exactly why. I got them after the implantation of a MitraClip which involved a transseptal puncture but no CT a scan. I also had them after my index ablation—again no CT scan. I believe that Dr. Natale has commented on the apparent association with the puncture.

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Daisy

I believe that the consensus is that these “auras” are associated with the transseptal puncture rather than CT scans with contrast though no one seems to know exactly why. I got them after the implantation of a MitraClip which involved a transseptal puncture but no CT a scan. I also had them after my index ablation—again no CT scan. I believe that Dr. Natale has commented on the apparent association with the puncture.

Thanks for your response. From your experience that seems to make sense,

Can you describe the "visual hallucinations" you experienced? I've experienced both auras and actual anesthesia-induced hallucinations and they're quite different.

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Carey
Can you describe the "visual hallucinations" you experienced? I've experienced both auras and actual anesthesia-induced hallucinations and they're quite different.

When I closed my eyes I saw bright colored, vivid images. They were of many different random objects….people, cars, trees, etc. I do not quite remember, but I thing some were moving. I never experienced anything like it.

Those were anesthesia-induced hallucinations, not auras. Auras are pretty predictable and follow patterns that don't involve objects like people, cars, etc. They're typically just colorful geometric shapes that kind of vibrate, often forming a shape like the letter C, but they can come in many forms. They're never recognizable objects.

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Carey
Those were anesthesia-induced hallucinations, not auras. Auras are pretty predictable and follow patterns that don't involve objects like people, cars, etc. They're typically just colorful geometric shapes that kind of vibrate, often forming a shape like the letter C, but they can come in many forms. They're never recognizable objects.

Thank you, Carey, for providing this helpful information,

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Carey
Those were anesthesia-induced hallucinations, not auras. Auras are pretty predictable and follow patterns that don't involve objects like people, cars, etc. They're typically just colorful geometric shapes that kind of vibrate, often forming a shape like the letter C, but they can come in many forms. They're never recognizable objects.

Carey, when I had my 2 failed ablations I was under anesthesia many more hours than the ablation with Dr. Natale. Do you have any thoughts as to why I did not have the hallucinations then?

Hard to say. Could be the drugs used by the anesthesiologist. I've only experienced them once and I've had multiple ablations at different hospitals, and it wasn't Natale's procedure.

My 1st Aura and associated Migraine came one week after my first ablation. Never was a headache guy before that. Thought I was having a stroke and went to ER.

You can search past posts, it has been discussed. Long story short they got worse and stuck around. After trying every migraine drug under the sun for roughly 5 years, 60mg of extended release Propranolol a day stopped them dead in their tracks. Though that may now be aggravating eczema, so no good deed goes unpunished. Or I may just now be feeling the early affects of stasis dermatitis in my lower legs. Time will tell and currently trying to figure out.