Cardiac issue RHBB + NSVT

[mudcity]

At my last medical the ECG flagged up a RHBB -right hand bundle block - and the subsequent tests as required by the CAA then showed a NSVT- non sustained ventricular tachycardia.
This means I am currently grounded awaiting more tests. If any one out there has been through a similar experience I would be grateful to hear from them as to how they regained their medical and how long the process took.

[TurboTomato]

Is that similar to supraventricular tachycardia? I know a little about that and one of the treatments (ablation).

[mudcity]

Hi TT
one of the options being considered is ablation-did you have this treatment ? if so how long before you could regain your medical ?

[TurboTomato]

Sorry, not a pilot :(

My better half had SVT and had an ablation to correct it - procedure took about an hour at King College and she was in and out in the same day. They went in through the arteries on the inside of her thighs and then reproduced an SVT episode by selectively stimulating parts of the heart muscles to find the 'short circuit'. No general, you are fully conscious as where the bad pathway is on the heart determines what the risks are with doing the ablation (from needing a pacemaker if it goes wrong to having a stroke). Once this is determined you, as the patient, make the choice of whether to continue and the actual ablation which is quite quick as far as I'm aware as it's just a case of cauterizing a small part of the bad pathway to break it.

Recovery was remarkably quick - she had a week off work but was feeling pretty much back to normal within a few days. How that relates to your medical I don't know sorry but it's not a complicated procedure (as we experienced anyway) and it's not invasive. SVT episodes haven't re-occurred and the ablation was done in 2008 - from what I recall the chances of success are about 90% and in the 10% that do re-occur (the heart can simply repair the pathway) a 2nd ablation will increase the chance of success to around 99%.

I hope that is of some help to you.

[mudcity]

Thanks for the info TT, if any pilot out there has had the same procedure I would be grateful to know the implications with regard to regaining your Class 1

[ITFC1]

I have just been grounded due to SVT, although i had PVR in December 2009 and got my medical back.

My letter is to do another 24 hour ECG, plus i am having an exercise test too, then a follow up report from my cardiologist. i am not sure if they will want anything else.

[Thomas coupling]

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!

[TurboTomato]

Contrary to what TurboTom says - it is invasive! It is a local and it is painless, but it is very much invasive!

Apologies, that is me not understanding the term 'invasive' correctly. Ablation, as it was performed on my other half, is invasive but would probably be classed as minimally invasive. And yes, it can re-occur.

[Jarvy]

I have had ablation twice and I have to say it hurt like hell! It felt like the mother of all indigestions. Second time they put me out which was much better!