PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Cardiac issue RHBB + NSVT
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Old 9th Jul 2013, 10:35
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Thomas coupling
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: UK
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Mudcity.

I have NSVT. I did everything up to the nuclear stress test [running on a treadmill wired up to an ECG machine and having a radio isotope injected while running. Then they put you inside a geiger counter to track the blood flow through the heart].

The gold standard for all heart ailments is the angiogram, I believe. Along the same lines as the ablation process where they can do stents/measure blood flow/ check for blockages/and of course - ablate.
Contrary to what TurboTom says - it is invasive! It is a local and it is painless, but it is very much invasive! There are reasonable risks associated with the procedure which is why they have a trauma team on standby on most angiograms. 3% of angiogram patients suffer minor strokes as a consequence but these are treatable at the time of the infarction.

WRT licenses - if you have RHBB and NSVT you cannot fly single pilot ever. If you only have NSVT you can fly twin pilot provided you are taking medication (betablockers/inhibitors etc).
If the medication works - you may not need to go down the road of an angiogram perhaps?

So the batting order if you are in the UK:

You will be referred to a cardiologist.
He will do a standard stress test on a treadmill.
Dependent on the outcome you will then do a nuclear stress test.
Might need an angiogram dependent on the outcome.

[Ablations are not always successful and may require revisits. Tony Blair has one and it was not succesful so he is now on medication instead, I believe].


The whole process could take 2-3 months dependent on your health status and insurance circumstances. If you are NHS only - look at 6 months plus!
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