How did your recovery go and have you heard from other patients who had ablations?
Sorry for delay. My recovery was fine... after the first few hours. Funny story (not at all at the time!). Usually these things are done with sedation, and take about an hour, maybe? That's what I was expecting when I came to the hospital. However, the spot in my heart triggering the PVCs was in a very tricky spot (which was why I was seeing this hot-shot doc in the first place, so I should have known it wouldn't be so simple...). Anyway, my procedure was done under general anesthesia with a special kind of ventilator (a type of oscillating vent that gives the patient fast shallow breaths) so that my heart would move as little as possible during the case. Also, because of the tricky location, it took 5 hours! That wouldn't have been such a big deal, except, for this case, I had to be completely flat on my back. Normally, a pillow would go under the knees to relieve back strain. So, after lying flat on a metal table for 5 hours, I woke with a horrible back spasm. OK, still wouldn't have been a big deal, except... because the procedure requires making a rather large hole in the femoral artery—
I wasn't allowed to move my legs or roll over for something like 4 hours! The pain from the spasm was excruciating. And, I take huge doses of pain medication on a normal day. Remarkably, my husband and I were able to talk the recovery room nurse into getting me almost enough pain medication to make a small dent in the pain. But, after I was moved out of recovery, no more, because "the procedure shouldn't be painful." The procedure itself didn't cause the least bit of pain, just a stupid muscle spasm! When those 4 hours were up, I said, "Can I move now!" As soon as I heard a "Yes," I turned on my side. Problem solved!
Anyway, I was fine after that. I don't recall having much trouble recovering from the anesthesia. I've had general anesthesia a few times since being ill, and done fine. The worst was this February, when I had a port placed. For some stupid reason, the anesthesiologist (seemed so young maybe she'd just finished her residency?) gave my Haldol. WTF? Apparently, some are using this now to prevent post-op nausea. But I'd told her in advance I've
never had an issue with post-op nausea! For days after the procedure, I couldn't figure out why I was so groggy, so out of it. Then, I remembered asking the recovery nurse after the procedure what I'd been given during the case, and hearing "Haldol" (it messed up my memory for days!).
Sorry for long story. I guess I'm fortunate that I don't have issues with anesthesia. Maybe being an anesthesiologist myself inoculates me?
Don't let my story scare you away from an ablation! My experience is far from usual. However, I don't know others with ME/CFS who've had ablations. Personally, though, I'd try the ablation first before the pacemaker, if that's an option. A pacemaker is great if you need it, but it is a permanent foreign body that requires monitoring and maintenance.
