Mini Maz

for afib. Anyone had that?? going to have a consult soon about whether the procedure would benefit me or work for me what should I know?? just got back from 6 mo check and although I wasn't in afib but only 1% of time i'm having symptoms and I had something like more than 100 episodes in the last 6 months. no wonder I can't do anything ha! I am scheduling a consult with a surgeon to see if that would be a good alternative. i'm already on highest dose of Propafenone and she's starting me on Topralol to take at night. what we're trying to figure out now is the chicken or egg theory. I have still a lot of atrial tach which of course the mini maz won't help but she thinks that the atrial tach either might be causing the afib or the afib causing the atrial tach somehow we'll all get this sorted out.

3 Comments

Ablation for Afib

by golden_snitch - 2015-02-26 02:02:31

Hi!

There are guidelines on how to manage Afib, and usually you try at least one betablocker and one antiarrhythmic drug first, before you go for an Afib ablation. Sounds like you did that. Now, with regards to the ablation, the normal ablation procedure for Afib would be a Pulmonary Vein Isolation (PVI). What I get from your profile is that you've so far had one ablation for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia only. A Mini Maze is much more invasive than a PVI, and I have actually never heard that a person goes straight for the Maze, and not for the PVI first. I have spent quite some time in EP departments, had 8 ablations myself, and the only Maze patients I ever got to know had already had several PVIs before the Maze was even presented as an option to them. So, to me it sounds a bit radical to head for the Maze now.

Also, as long as you keep having other atrial tachys, I'd rather have another EP study and ablation, where they can try to locate/ablate the atrial tachy and do an Afib ablation at the same time. Mapping and ablation techniques and equipment is getting more and more advanced, so it's not said that something that was difficult to ablate in 2013, cannot be ablated successfully in 2015.

Whatever you decide, I wish you good luck and hope that it's the right way for you!

Inga

Problem!

by kmom - 2015-02-26 02:02:52

Wish it weren't. I had an ASD repaired when I was 25 they open heart surgery and have a patch between my atria so my Ep can't get to the other side of the heart to do the PVI this is the only Option I have. They are starting me back on metopolol as well.. There is too much risk unfortunately with the patch to do it the other way

hybrid procedure

by kmom - 2015-02-27 08:02:42

It's actually the new hybrid procedure for treating afib. they do both outside via instruments inserted under arms and inside (EP study and ablation via catheter) at the same time. the surgeon works with the EP to combine procedures so they can get both inside and outside the heart. I've seen some videos on it kind of cool but again not sure how well it's going to work with my patch because my EP still can't get to the other side. Will meet with the surgeon on the 12th of March to see if it would even work in my case. Adding the additional Metopolol seems to have helped slightly and so far no side effects except for some very crazy dreams last night but I've only taken 1 dose so far.

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