Complete block changed.

  In 2015 I went into complete block and heart failure. Need a pacemaker and received a dual lead pacemaker. At my last pacemaker check the rate was lowered and then stopped completely. My heart was beating my itself. I was very glad to see this. I now have Left Bundle Brance Block only not complete block. My heart rate on its own is around 60 BPM. The pacemaker is set to kick in if it drops below 50 BPM. 

Has anyone see this before?    Before I got  the PM I was checked for lime etc. 

Thanks for any info.

Jack  

4 Comments

types of block

by Tracey_E - 2018-04-27 13:21:22

LBBB refers to where the signal breaks down. Complete refers to how often we are in block, so 3rd degree or complete means all the time, 2nd degree is either partially blocked all the time or all signal blocked some of the time. It's possible to go between them. What one doctor calls complete, another might call 2nd, or it can be fluid where sometimes the heart conducts and other times it doesn't. My underlying rate has been anywhere from 20 to 60 over the years when they turn the pacer down enough to check.

Most of us have no idea why we ended up with heart block. Sometimes infection or medication can cause it, sometimes surgery can, but usually it's random. The only time it's likely to heal itself is if it's from surgery. It can change over time, but it's unlikely it would go away. Have your pacing numbers changed? Complete block usually paces 100%. 

Back to complete block

by marylandpm - 2018-04-28 21:29:19

  My BPM drop to 50 during the second night and the pacemaker took over pacing.   I had to go in to the EPs office and have them up my lower rate to 60 since 50 was too low. I also went back into Afib. I brought up hisbundle pacing and the EP did not rule it out in the furture. So now i'm back to being 100% paced.

more typical

by Tracey_E - 2018-04-29 08:46:04

Unfortunately that sounds about right. We may have periods were we beat or mostly beat on our own, but we usually end up back where we were in complete block. Most of us pace 100%, and can do so for years and years with no ill effects. 

His bundle pacing is a better way to go if you are starting new, but removing existing leads is a big deal, not something I would choose to do until I didn't have other options.

Apex lead and Afin

by marylandpm - 2018-04-30 07:02:39

  I don't think I had Afib before getting the PM so I am thinking that if I had Hisbunle pacing there is a chance that I could keep the Afib to a mininum.   Since the apex lead had had been there for almost 3 yrs. it would stay.  I just want to stop this decline in activity level I have been experencing. 

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