Decisions

Hi there, I am wondering if anyone has any input/experience with a decision that I have to make:

I received my PM in Dec when my ablation for SVT caused a heart block. For awhile I was going in to see the EP every few weeks to have him tweak the PM as my heart still felt funny. It got to the point where he said I was doing so well that he believed I probably wouldn't even need the PM in a year. The last time I went in as I was feeling funny again - and yes, funny doesn't describe anything, but it is always different, and basically it feels like when they lay the magnet on the PM, but all the time, and there's some jumping around of HR and a I feel a little gaspy, the EP said that it looks like I have arrhythmia and that my options were to have another ablation to remove the AV node so I would be 100% paced or go on beta blockers - I'm not on any meds now.

The whole reason I had the ablation done was because I hated the beta blockers as they exhausted me and made me dizzy. (I'm 47 and am running kids around and I am also in the military where they strangely enough don't appreciate exhausted and dizzy). The EP said that probably wouldn't happen this time - but I'm not sure if that was a magical way of knowing or if there is some scientific evidence that says so. However, do I really want to be 100% dependent if I don't have to be? Has anyone made this choice? Do people die of arrhythmia? Or is it just something that is uncomfortable and irritating.

So I guess my question is are there are any other options? Is there really not a PM setting that can manage arrhythmia? Is there a good reason to choose to have an AV ablation?

I would appreciate anyone weighing in on this please.

3 Comments

Irregular

by Charlotteis - 2015-04-25 11:04:24

I meant to stay irregular HR rather than arrhythmia.

AV-node ablation

by golden_snitch - 2015-04-26 02:04:24

An AV-node ablation should always be the very, very last resort therapy. Can't believe that your EP is even offering that to you at this point!

If I were you, I'd rather try the meds first - been there, done that. I had already had six ablations, then had issues with a fast junctional rhythm that also caused my ventricles to beat faster than my atria or beat at exactly the same time (AV-dissociation). For the first couple of years it helped to have the pacer set at a higher minimum rate, in my case 70bpm. After six years with that, I started to take meds to suppress the junctional rhythm. Another four years later I had the AV-node ablation.

People die of arrhythmias, but these are ventricular arrhythmias (VT, ventricular flutter, fibrillation). If you had any of that, your EP had not suggested the AV-node ablation and would have most likely not let you go without at least a betablocker.

If you just feel funny, but not really bad because of the arrhythmia, you might as well just live with it.

Av node ablation

by orangebowls - 2015-04-26 04:04:56

Hi, if you search av node ablation in the search box at the top, you will get some good information about it from members of the club, I am having it done in 2 weeks time
and I found the info very useful , I wish you all the best

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