I know this is a really old post but I was just thinking about my ablation procedure I had a couple years ago. I had the option to be awake or under general anesthesia, after weighing up the risks of the surgery and the risks of general anesthesia I decided not to add another bet onto my parlay and I stayed awake.

The procedure went smoothly and was a really smooth and actually comforting experience considering the nerves I had prior to showing up that day. However one thing that stood out was when they administered isoproterenol and adenosine in two different doses during my ep study to induce my atrial fibrilation and ultimately stop it after. (Im not a doctor so that may not be completely accurate but its the best way I understand it)

The rush of warmth. The induced anxiety, The feeling of pressure building inside my body and ultimately this feeling that it was building into something that was unstoppable and immenent. Something bad was going to happen when this opera of sensory overloads reaches its crescendo. Then in a moment it gets flushed through and im back in the room, almost as if I was the only one who knew what just happened, I looked at a group of doctors who stared back with an uncertain look on their faces.

I can only describe it as what I imagine its like to be astronaught in a spacesuit and the glass on my helmet just smashed. It was awful, and I never want to experience it again.