How is the surgery for supraventricular tachycardia done?

  Supraventricular tachycardia is usually treated with transcatheter radiofrequency ablation, which is performed in two steps, commonly referred to as electrophysiological examination + radiofrequency ablation treatment. The electrophysiological examination first identifies the cause of the supraventricular tachycardia and the corresponding lesion, and then determines whether radiofrequency ablation is needed and can be performed as the next step. The electrophysiological examination is also known as an evocation test (sometimes with the addition of specific drugs to improve the success rate of the evocation) to bring out the tachycardia. When performing electrophysiological examinations, the patient needs to be cooperative and understanding and does not need to be afraid of the attack, because the doctor can always terminate these arrhythmias with specific electrophysiological stimulation. Also these tests are necessary because it is necessary to clarify whether the type of arrhythmia attack is consistent with the patient’s usual attack presentation, etc. The above-mentioned examinations make it possible to clarify the cause of the arrhythmia and the corresponding location of the lesion, and to understand the characteristics of the patient’s cardiac electrical activity. Of course, before the electrophysiological examination, the patient is usually asked to stop the anti-arrhythmic drugs that may affect the test results. In general, the entire procedure takes about 1-2 hours, but for some special cases, it sometimes takes a long time, and this time requires more understanding cooperation from the patient, because the doctor will always want to give a complete resolution of the lesion, and some lesions are really challenging.  It is usually necessary to prepare and schedule the surgery 1-2 days in advance, and after the surgery the patient is usually hospitalized for 1-2 days for observation to understand the postoperative recovery, especially the changes in the surgical wound. The vast majority of patients can be successfully discharged from the hospital the day after surgery. Of course, if the arrangements go well, the total length of stay is usually about 3 days. If everything goes well, the number of days can even be reduced to 2 days, i.e., the patient is admitted in the morning, checked for the necessary items, and then discharged the next day.  It is especially important to remind female patients that if they are still menstruating, it is usually recommended that they be admitted 1-2 days after they have cleared. Since the procedure is usually performed on an elective basis, these can be adjusted and have a great benefit for their own safety and to reduce hospitalization costs.