What to do now

After my fourth ablation over 2 years ago and on my third PM in was in sinus rythmn for the first time in almost 20 years. Well as could be predicted I am back in atrail fibulation. This time its cronic ( all the time). I am back on blood thinners but I am having trouble deciding what to do next.
My local cardiologist wants me to go on amiodrone and in so many words forget about it. Blood thinners and amiodrone for the rest of my like does not seem like a good long term solution. I am only 62.
I went in for a second opinion back to the hospital where I have had my ablations done. The electrophysiologist suggested another ablation since the last one gave me aboout two years of relief. I was told there was about a 70% chance of it being permenent this time. This option sounds better to me but I hesitate because my local doctor has concerns over the number of times they have burned my heart durning the 4 previous ablations. I do not know the exact number of times I have been burned so but the electrophysiologist said it would be OK.
I would like to know if there is someone out there who has had multiple ablations and what the results have been. Also is there a time when you burn the heart muscle enough that it does not function as it should? I am on the schedule for the ablation in early 2012. I guess I'm not considered an emergency.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks Dave

3 Comments

Afib

by mike thurston - 2011-11-03 03:11:50

Dave, sorry you are back in a-fib. I was totally ablated 4 and 1/2 years ago and am totally PM dependent and in permanent afib at around 300 erractic beats a minute :)
Good thing is I no longer feel the craziness as the PM runs my Ventricles and my EF went to around 50% up from 15%. My EP tried to leave me an escape rhythmn but no luck on that one. I was on amio for about 5 or 6 weeks leading up to a mini-maze that went very badly resulting in my chest being opened. Shortly after my blood would not clot and since I never had an issue with Coumadin before the amio I elected to quit taking it. I was scared to death of the stuff. However some folks have great results with only minor side effects. Tough decisions for sure and only you and an EP you trust can make them. My afib was very debilitating and caused great anxiety as I could feel every crazy beat.
Wishing you the best.
Mike T.

FOUR ABLATIONS

by pete - 2011-11-06 10:11:19

Its time to give up on ablations. They are not for you any more. You need a biventricular cardiac resynchronisation pacemaker with only 2 leads fitted. One going into the right ventricle and the other over the top of your heart and sitting close to you left ventricle. Six weeks later have the AV node taken out by a small quick ablation so that your pacemaker will be 100% controlling your ventricles and keping them in synchrony. You will still have AF but you will not realise it.
Do not confuse abation proceedures which take hours with the quick ablation of your AV node. This is the best path forward. Peter

pulmonary vein ablation

by jeanmarie - 2011-11-07 10:11:07

I also had four ablations when my cardiologist suggest a pulmonary vein ablation the first time he did it every thing was fine, then a year ago my pacemaker battery died so had to get new generator, and heart went into afib, so in March they did another pulmonary vein ablation, and something happen and they punchured the heart, was in ICU for a couple of day and in medicine induced coma so I would not move, but since then I have a lot of chest pain, but the heart only is in afib about 10% of the time, so guess it has helped...except for the pain in the upper stomach and chest

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