Arrythmia: doctors mentioning a catheter ablation before dia Posted: 09-23-06 12:28pm
Hi everyone!
I am a healty 32 year old woman that for
the past 2 years I have had these
shortness of breath attacks that literally
last for a split second. Although they
last for that short second, I am fully
aware of when it happens. It is actually
kind of scary. For the past few months I
have had three of those attacks which
actually lasted a little bit longer than
the usual ones. With these 3 attacks I had
an extremely fast heart beat that was
accompanied by lightheadedness and I felt
like I was going to pass out at any
moment. This lasted for about a few
minutes. I went to the cardiologist and he
did an ekg, stress test and an
echocardiogram of which they came back ok.
He suggested that I have a cathetar
ablation. I set the procedure last month
but didn't show up because I was scared of
the invasive procedure. I went for a 2nd
opinion and he told me not to have it
done. Yesterday I went back to the 2nd
doctor and I explained to him that this is
still happening to me. Now he is also
talking about this ablation. This
arrythmia that seems to be happening to me
has never been recorded on any of these
tests of for the monitor they gave me so I
don't know what to do. Has this ever
happened to any one of you that is reading
this or anyone that has had an arrythmia
...Can you feel it in your neck where the
pulse can be felt instead of your chest
accompanied by the shortness of breath?
Should I have this ablation? I would
appreciate any feedback.
Thanks, mya101
A catheter ablation is a treatment
procedure, not a diagnostic procedure. It
is used for treating various types of
arrhythmia, mostly supra-ventricular
arrhythmias, but it can also be used to
treat ventricular arrhythmias. You can’t
use a catheter ablation without any record
of an existing arrhythmia. Arrhythmia has
to be first proven and then treated.
Diagnosis is done using a holter device to
monitor and record the heart rhythm for 24
hours. If an arrhythmia shows up, it will
be recorded by the holter apparatus. Then
you and your physician can consider
possible treatment options according to
the type of arrhythmia idnetified
(including a catheter ablation).
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