Originally Posted by en bloc

Hi all,

Just want to see if anyone has experience with an EP study & ablation used to treat/correct the errant electrical signals that cause severe tachycardia resulting from autonomic neuropathy...which is of course a part of PN.

My autonomic system has been failing for years in ALL areas possible, but the cardiac aspects seems to have taken the brunt of it. I have NMH (neurally mediated hypotension). Significant coronary artery vasospasms as well. Also had a pacemaker implanted in 2004 for rates in the 30's (while sitting up and trying to function), but still struggle with tachy rates in excess of 200 at times. My pacer acts as a event recorder and picks up any rates in excess 180. Interrogations of the device every six months have repeatedly shown multiple recordings (usually 4-10). The last one had a new high of 27 "events" (after just a couple months)...that also correlated to date/times I list having symptoms.

The idea of doing an ablation has come up several times over the years, but now seems to be at a "necessary" point with this number of events and scheduled for May 16th.

I know it's not an overly common procedure, but hoping that some here suffering with autonomic dysfunction from PN have at it done and can share their experience. It's about a 5 hour procedure, but seems to have a fairy good success rate from what I've read online. It's the fourth heart surgery (open heart, pacer, and routine catheter), so not really nervous about the procedure itself. Just want to hear about any success stories and certainly about any complications.