Post Procedure Anxiety.

Ugh. Just posting because after my last failed ablation I am having a terrible time. They failed to induce the rhythm, did the entire three hour procedure without sedation (4 catheters plus isoproteronol, and hours of pacing), it was terribly painful at times, then wicked post procedure pericarditis. I am now finding myself with really bad anxiety and maybe depression related to the procedure. I feel so antsy and anxious. I just can't shake it. I feel like the entire thing was so traumatizing.

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MeganMN
Ugh. Just posting because after my last failed ablation I am having a terrible time. They failed to induce the rhythm, did the entire three hour procedure without sedation (4 catheters plus isoproteronol, and hours of pacing), it was terribly painful at times, then wicked post procedure pericarditis. I am now finding myself with really bad anxiety and maybe depression related to the procedure. I feel so antsy and anxious. I just can't shake it. I feel like the entire thing was so traumatizing.

I can really understand – that sounds like a terrible experience! I certainly wonder why you didn’t have sedation as that just seems brutal. Having myself had an ablation and a touchup, I can’t imagine not having sedation. They were very careful pre-ablation and restricting any drugs that might interfere with t he procedure and I’m sure that the drugs that were actually used during the procedure were very carefully chosen so as not to in anyway interfere with the efficacy of the ablation. Absolutely no part of my ablation was done without sedation, so all I knew was drifting off and then waking up in recovery. Intubation and everything was done while I was out. So all I can say is go somewhere else – it doesn’t have to be that way! And I send my sympathies.

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MeganMN
Ugh. Just posting because after my last failed ablation I am having a terrible time. They failed to induce the rhythm, did the entire three hour procedure without sedation (4 catheters plus isoproteronol, and hours of pacing), it was terribly painful at times, then wicked post procedure pericarditis. I am now finding myself with really bad anxiety and maybe depression related to the procedure. I feel so antsy and anxious. I just can't shake it. I feel like the entire thing was so traumatizing.

I am so sorry to hear about what you are going through. Things seemed to be better once you started using the TENS unit and now the anxiety is worsening. I can’t imaging going through what you did without sedation! I am glad you are on the waiting list for a Dr. Natale consult, but that must seem so far out for you! I am wondering if you are thinking of taking some medication in hopes that it could help with the anxiety. I am sure that after speaking with Dr. Natale you will have some hope that things will be better. Please know, the care you get from him and his team will be superb.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2024 10:49PM by Pixie.

Thanks Daisy and Pixie. It has been really weird. I felt so anxious DURING the procedure and really had to do some serious mind over matter work just to struggle through. I had so many crazy thoughts running through my head- about my kids, my husband, etc. It was really tough. I have been taking some propranolol PRN for the SVT. It may well help with the anxiety too. I really don't like the meds, but I may start taking it at night just to sleep and not feel so antsy....

Three hours, no sedation, no pain control, and no success. I'm sorry you had to endure that.

Please consider yourself done with that doctor.

There must have been a reason, Megan? What did the team tell you prior to the operation? This seems brutal. Maybe spend some time calming yourself and telling yourself that what you have experienced is the very worst of it, and the good part is that it's history. You should never submit to that EP again.

So sorry you had to endure this.

You are not alone:

A novel platform allowing for pulsed field and radiofrequency ablation: first commercial atrial fibrillation ablation procedures worldwide with and without general anesthesia

[www.heartrhythmjournal.com]


Where I live, the EP at a big hospital does not use anesthesia during an ablation. I was waiting for an appointment for an PM checkup and a lady was so stressed out over her non anesthesia ablation. She was in pain.

Hubby is getting cataract surgery in a couple of weeks. He had a choice of a venue that uses anesthesia and one that does not. He picking the one without.

I had emergency GI surgery without anesthesia in Los Angeles when I was 19. They stuck a wooden tongue depressor in my mouth and two people held me down. Not my fondest memory.

On the other hand, I had two C-sections and asked the surgeon to move the mirror so I can see everything including his initial cut. Twisted but interesting…But I didn’t feel pain so it didn’t concern me.

So sorry you are going through this. I struggled with anxiety post my first ablation. I was put under anesthesia but things did not go well and I had multiple complications post ablation. I ended up seeing a therapist to help me deal with all the anxiety and I was having pretty severe shortness of breath that slowly improved but it took about a year. I would see a different EP. I just had a second ablation and things were totally different, so much better. So glad that I went to a different EP.

They felt that the best chance of success for the ablation was without sedation because Atrial Tachycardia can be notoriously hard to induce, and I already had one failed attempt. They felt it was the best shot,.but I feel like they should have stopped when I experienced intense pain. That is what made it so difficult for me.

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MeganMN
They felt that the best chance of success for the ablation was without sedation because Atrial Tachycardia can be notoriously hard to induce, and I already had one failed attempt. They felt it was the best shot,.but I feel like they should have stopped when I experienced intense pain. That is what made it so difficult for me.

Why didn’t they give you a pain narc during the procedure?

Wow I am so sorry I just had a very small invasive testing done with no anesthesia. I took some vitamin X (Xanax) to help me and my heart rate was still up and not great. Praying for your anxiety to subside. I have been anxious all week since my test and it was a minor thing. If you want to chat feel free to PM me. PTSD is a real thing and I have struggled with it in other areas of my life because of trauma.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2024 09:41PM by bettylou4488.