Cardiac Ablation

I forgot to post last week that I had my 6 month post partum check up with cardiology. After developing SVT (Supra ventricular tachycardia) at 10 weeks pregnant, I have been following up with them every so often.

During the pregnancy they couldn't do much other than to give me a medication to take if my heart rate started getting out of control. I tried not to take the medication unless I absolutely couldn't get my heart rate down on my own (usually done with vagal maneuvers). I actually only took the medication 5 times or so during the pregnancy and at that time my heart rate would go up at least 4-5 times a week. Since giving birth, my heart rate only goes up 4-5 times a month. Never going up to the 240 beats/min that I had in the ER.

Needless to say, I now have two treatment options now that I am not pregnant: medication or a cardiac ablation. The cardiac ablation is similar to a cardiac catheritization procedure, but once the catheters are inserted in your heart, they basically re-circuit your heart by killing off or taking out the bad heart cells that is causing the irregularity. It does come with some risks and doesn't always work. As for the medication, the cons are of course cost and just the nuisance of having to take medication every day at 28 years old.

The cardiologist (whom I know very well from work), thinks that it is best to go ahead and try medication for now. If I have any breakthrough SVT while on the medication then I definitely need the ablation. Otherwise, he will follow up with me in 3 months and keep me on the medication for one year. At that point he would try to wean me off the medication. If I had more issues at that point.....once again ablation would be the next step. I have been started on an anti-dysrhythmic Flecainide-to be taken twice a day. So far, it's hard to tell if it's working, because I can't seem to take it regularly. I am going to program my cell phone to remind me. We will see how it goes!!