AV Node ablation & replacement CRT-D coming up!

Hi Pacemaker Peeps!

I was diagnosed with Viral Cardiomyopathy in 2001. Long story short I ended up with an EF of 15-20% in 2010, had a CRT-D implanted then a Ventricular Ablation (took care of the PVCs I was having - sometimes 2 or 3 in a row, which isn't particularly healthy). Since all that my EF has increased to around 40-45. A year ago I had another ablation due to SVTs, but this wasn't successful and recently due to stress (I'm a Foster Father to a 14 yr old girl :D ) I've had two inappropriate shocks from my defibrillator when my SVT took my heart +250bpm.

So the day after Thanksgiving I'm going back on the table for a new Pacemaker (battery <5 months) and an AV Node ablation as my EP does not want my weak heart getting any more unnecessary zaps. Pacemaker dependence here I come! At 43 I feel a bit young for this, but I think there are many people out there (in here?) who for one reason or another have been in this situation since a much younger age.

Anyway, it's always good to connect with folks with similar life experiences, so hopefully I'll get to hang out here a bit if it is an active forum.

Alister.

2 Comments

Last resort

by golden_snitch - 2015-11-20 06:11:15

Hi!

Isn't this a bit early? I mean, AV-node ablation is usually the very very last resort therapy in patients with Afib or other atrial arrhythmias that all other therapies have failed for. I had my AV-node ablation after 7 (!!!) ablations and after having been on tons of antiarrhythmic drugs for many years. From the beginning of my atrial tachy problems to AV-node ablation 13 years went by.

Either give SVT ablation another try or try different antiarrhythmic drugs, I'd say. Going for an AV-node ablation after just one failed SVT ablation is totally overdone in my opinion. As I said, this is very very last resort therapy, and from what you are reporting here, you are not even close to having exhausted all other options.

Best wishes!

Just say no!

by alisterhill - 2015-11-21 02:11:13

Thank you for taking the time to comment - I appreciate the concern and know that it is genuine. Thanks! However --

Antiarrhythmic drugs suck. Apart from the obvious but highly unlikely total pacemaker/leads failure leaving me high and dry, I'd much rather be pmd than start cycling through a series of horrible medications to see if any of them will prevent me going 250bpm and getting pummeled again (and again and again). The combination of the drugs plus ongoing risk of unnecessary shocks is much less desirable to me than AVNA.

That's my feeling about the matter, anyway.

You know you're wired when...

You have a new body part.

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In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.