Had my pvc ablation!

I should had done this a year ago and avoided heart failure and a 35 EF. It was easier than a dental filling. It’s my 5th ablation so I know.

I was wide awake the entire 2 hours except for the first and last 7 minutes during the groin cut.

I watched them snaking to my heart. I have a very caring EP who warned me before the first burn not to move and did a 18 second burn and countdown. I was strapped in hands and body like a mummy or straight jacket.

I didn’t feel the first burn so he continued without concern the remaining 4 burns.

In the end he warned me he will increase my HR and not to be concerned. That caused 10/10 angina. But I got morphine in the end.

I manned up and proud I withstood the ablation wide awake. I wasn’t scared because the staff and EP were calm and knew what they were doing.

Unfortunately no plugs so I’m in bed for 6 hours waiting to get out to pee.

I was brave and tough. So I’m proud of myself but regret not doing this 13 months ago.

The advantage of no anesthesia except for two 7 minute times is that I am clear headed and alert and was able to eat immediately.

BTW, I have strep throat and a fever and a razor blade throat. They were not concerned.

I need to mention I had my first 3 ablations with Natale at Los Robles in CA. The cath lab is minimal compared to Austin so I do not recommend going there. I had my ablation today overseas with state of the art equipment. I think it makes a difference. Most ablations include iodine imagery so they could see better. I didn’t need it. I only had my left ventricle burned. With a 50% burden my PVCs stopped after the 5th left ventricle burn and mapping showed no right ventricle activity.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2026 05:19AM by susan.d.

Good luck going forward!

That's a lot to endure, Susan. I am glad the procedure went so well and your PVCs have stopped. Wishing you a smooth recovery and a healthy strong heart in the days to come.

Thanks. Day and night difference with only 5 burns instead of 40-50. Also I didn’t need to be ecv. My 3rd ablation I needed 8 ecv (well I died I was told on the table) Perhaps with a left ventricle ablation, the ceiling, floor and walls don’t have to be burned and in general it’s an easier ablation overall. I'm feel great so far Except for my strep. I have a 2.5 hour wait left (no plugs) to leave my bed and pee and test my heart.

Also I only had 1 groin cut. I will say that the catheter was a 10/10 pain so I was asleep for 7 minutes while inserting and removing the catheter. I was born with a twisted vein past the groin by my hip area that was kinky so it hurt each time he maneuvered the catheter. I had 9 in the room which ran like clockwork. I regret not doing this earlier.

In 30 minutes I can get out of bed since I was sewn and not plugged. I was told by everyone that there is no need to push against the incision (one not two) when sitting or standing. I tried it while inserting in bed and I had no pain. My EP just arrived to check in and he said it’s not necessary as well. There is no 10 pound limit but I can’t lift heavy gym equipment.

Is it because plugs have their own protocol?

Congratulations, Susan. I hope that you can be free of arrhythmia, at least at the onerous burden you had prior to this last ablation.

Wow. Sounds like you truly managed your ventricle ablation procedure Like a Boss!!! Wishing you a lightening speed recovery and 100% success in resolving all of your heart issues.

Good for you, and without GA the bane of too many US ablations! Speedy recovery! When feeling up to it, can you clarify how did the setup and technology over there compare to what you experienced in the US.

Jim

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mjamesone
Good for you, and without GA the bane of too many US ablations! Speedy recovery! When feeling up to it, can you clarify how did the setup and technology over there compare to what you experienced in the US.

Jim

They do more testing and imaging. Iodine contrast in the cath lab during the ablation is the norm in addition to mapping to see the anatomy. Ultrasound was used to guide the catheter. I have no comparison to Austin-my 4 ablations were at Los Robles, but from what I saw, my overseas ablation today had more staff. I had 3 on one side and 4 on the other prepping me. They were busy bees all coordinating the ablation.

They keep their patients awake to maximize success. I was told anesthesia suppresses the arrhythmia. My overseas EP burned less because I had a 50% burden during the ablation. I was watching on the monitor. He didn’t guess by excessively burn. I’m not out of the woods yet. In 3 months I get a 72 hour Holter. My recovery is better without anesthesia. It’s my 26st ablation/general surgeries I’ve had so I have a lot of experience to compare.

I was lucky. He estimated 2-4 hours but it came in shy of 2 hours because iodine contrast imaging wasn’t needed. He didn’t use pulse because he confessed left ventricle ablations for PVCs will take years to expect the experience needed. He uses pulse and RF for Afib ablations.

Cath lab imaging equipment-Austin has state of the art but I was told by Natale he prefers Austin over Los Robles because he can image better. The pro of Los Robles is their heated comfort mattress and their disposable pillows which I kept and private rooms. I’m in a three bed ward. Where I had mine today was a basic padded mattress gurney and a regular mattress. If one is asleep the mattress and pillow comfort is short lived. I’d rather have more staff and equipment than a blowup mattress that I won’t appreciate after I’m under anesthesia.

I had a full day of testing and imaging the day before. A chest xray, CT and labs were required as well as a fresh echo and ekg. I had a busy day. I didn’t have any imaging at Los Robles.

Jim —I only had 2 hospitals to make a comparison. Others can chime in and describe their ablation experiences. All I know mine was an excellent experience-even being awake. I got to watch in live time the entire process and witness the medical personnel do their best without music or talking to each other about their latest vacations. I had a lot of surgeries I choice spinal so I know to a small extent what happens during surgeries.

I’m not saying I’m cured. There is no such thing. I just had an excellent experience. I have three excellent nurses post ablation who enhanced the experience further. They maybe are the best nurses I’ve met.

I had interviewed a top tier New York EP during the fall. He was against staying awake. He told me it would take two ablations and I would be asleep. Usually I’m in NSR when asleep so I didn’t use him. He also uses a Fellow to map. I paid $360 more and had two attending EPs whom I handpicked. That was the entire cost of my ablation. I have insurance and secondary so I’ll get 80% back on what I paid. Basically free. For me that was a plus to pick the assistant EP. I had a bad experience at the #2 rated best cancer hospital in 2014 where residents and Fellows didn’t see my cancer growing for five years after I flew in twice a year for imaging. During 2025 summer I had another cancer surgery in the east coast using a different hospital. The 2029 graduate resident made a permanent mistake in which I’m still seeking medical care and suffering pain. So having no residents or fellows touch me is a plus. I’m sure there are many excellent fellows but I had multiple poor experiences to risk it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2026 10:24PM by susan.d.

Susan, impressive. Both the setup, approach, and equally impressive, the way you went about the whole process, advocating for the best possible chance. Best of luck.

Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2026 04:27AM by mjamesone.

Susan, wishing you, my hero, a speedy recovery.!

I’m reading my discharge papers. I was curious on the closure they used since it requires no manual pressure getting in and out of bed and zero pain. In the past I had 6 plugs.

It’s pretty interesting…:

The Perclose ProGlide is a suture-mediated closure (SMC) device that uses a stitch to quickly and securely seal arterial and venous access sites (like the femoral artery/vein) after catheterization, promoting faster healing, ambulation, and discharge by eliminating the need for manual compression and reducing complications like bleeding or infection. It works by deploying a suture through the vessel wall, which is then cinched to close the puncture, providing immediate hemostasis.
How it works (Simplified)
Device Placement: The device is advanced into the vessel through the puncture site.
Needle Deployment: A foot opens, and needles deploy, passing through the vessel wall and coming back out, carrying sutures.
Suture Deployment: The needles are retracted, leaving sutures in place.
Knot Tying: A mechanism (like a tamper/knot pusher) cinches the sutures, forming a knot that effectively stitches the vessel closed.
Confirmation: Hemostasis is confirmed, and the excess suture is trimmed.
Key Benefits
Faster Recovery: Reduces time to hemostasis (stopping bleeding), ambulation, and hospital discharge.
Reduced Complications: Associated with lower rates of bleeding, infection, and vascular complications compared to manual compression or cutdown.
Versatile: Can be used for both single and multiple access sites in femoral arteries and veins, for various sheath sizes.
Durable Closure: Provides immediate, robust closure, even in patients on anticoagulants.

I've never had to use manual pressure for any reason, nor have I ever experienced pain from the insertion sites. Neither should be the norm.

Then Carey it’s my bad luck I need morphine for this pain today. But I didn’t get it. I’m just black and blue down and around my thigh….just in pain.

Los Robles insisted we used two finger pressure upon sitting and standing. Every nurse after each 6 procedures insisted. I had an angiogram, 4 ablations, and a watchman and each time I was instructed and policed to apply pressure. Perhaps it’s a Los Robles protocol to do. There are quite a few who had their ablation there. I’m now curious if they needed pressure.

If it's that painful you've probably got a hematoma pressing against your femoral nerve. That happened to me way back when and it hurt like hell.

The pressure thing can't do any harm and I suppose it may prevent a hematoma now and then, but I've just never heard that advice before so I suspect it is a Los Robles thing.

I had a Natalie ablation at Los Robles not long after your first one there.

I didn't need pressure but had to lie still for 6 hours, probably because they didn't use plugs then.

I've been following your progress since those days and its good to see you still taking charge of your health and being better off for doing so.

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Los Robles insisted we used two finger pressure upon sitting and standing. Every nurse after each 6 procedures insisted. I had an angiogram, 4 ablations, and a watchman and each time I was instructed and policed to apply pressure. Perhaps it’s a Los Robles protocol to do.

It isn’t an Austin thing so it must be a Los Robles protocol.

I had a setback. My angina started in waves up to 10/10 the past two days. I took an ambulance at my family doctor office to the hospital and they stopped on the side of the bus lane road and waited for a higher tier ambulance. Then during ambulance #2 they stopped on the shoulder of the freeway and I waited and was transported between whizzing traffic onto an ICU ambulance.

I have pericardial effusion and my troponin was elevated to 52 and then 58. Not super high but it shows something.

A bit of advice- be your own advocate and do not get an ablation if you have strep throat. They think it traveled to my heart.it took me 4 months to get the appointment and my EF had dropped to 35 so I took the risk after being told it’s OK.

I’m in a cardiac ward being treated by the staff I saw on Monday during my ablation. They are treating me with ibuprofen and another aspirin like drug PLUS my Eliquis which worries me that I could bleed.

I believe you are also/still are a prime risk for stroke, Susan. So, you and they are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Why am I a prime risk for a stroke?

Due to the various medications and interventions you've had in the past six-eight years, and due to age (I have guessed or assumed that you are 60+...?), and due to the conditions that required intervention. I don't know how ambulatory you are, how much you sit or.....these all present risk. If I have guessed incorrectly, I will happily stand corrected.

Thank you Susan .. As I understand it you had your last Ablation overseas... May I ask where ? and the name of the EP.
I am located in Canada and looking for an EP that has lots and lots of experience .

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Carlorea
Thank you Susan .. As I understand it you had your last Ablation overseas... May I ask where ? and the name of the EP.
I am located in Canada and looking for an EP that has lots and lots of experience .

Mine is far away from Canada. I’ll pm you the info.

Quote
Carlorea
Thank you Susan .. As I understand it you had your last Ablation overseas... May I ask where ? and the name of the EP.
I am located in Canada and looking for an EP that has lots and lots of experience .

A non US EP with lots of experience is Pierre Jais in Bordeaux, Fr. A number of members here have used him. Here is a search here of posts that mention his name. [www.afibbers.org]

Quote
GeorgeN

Thank you Susan .. As I understand it you had your last Ablation overseas... May I ask where ? and the name of the EP.
I am located in Canada and looking for an EP that has lots and lots of experience .

A non US EP with lots of experience is Pierre Jais in Bordeaux, Fr. A number of members here have used him. Here is a search here of posts that mention his name. [www.afibbers.org]

A top rate reputation

I’m still admitted and still have fluid in my heart and angina. Non compressive so that’s means my heart enlarged to accommodate the fluid instead of constricting my heart. My EF improved some but my EP is not happy with the new miners (troponin still high too) and tonight I change to Carvedilol (Coreg) to see if it helps. Anyone take it?

Hi Susan,
Following your journey, I remember you were suffering from a high burden of PVC's.
Im also been suffering the same since my last Nata ablation in Austin Marh 1 2016...I also had a touchup ablation and the Watchman inserted April 11 2024.but my episodes also resolved after a few weeks or month's some lasting 5 months on and off.
Taurine Arginine Magnesium and Potassium supplementation eventually eliminate them for a year or two.
I circuit train with moderate weights and do cardio about 10 hours a week so my heart function is excellent but this is getting unnerving......
I recently dealt with prostate cancer 14 months out with MRI Guided SBRT @ MSK, all good there so far.

Any advice