A V node ablation
- by ianseward
- 2022-12-26 15:32:39
- Exercise & Sports
- 506 views
- 4 comments
Has anybody out there had a AV node ablation and pacemaker , and do sports eg cycling , golf , swimming .
how do you feel . Are sports possible . Do you feel tired . Any problems
4 Comments
Do overs
by Lurker - 2022-12-27 08:23:23
Once the PM is implanted it's there for the life of the PM.
Usually 7 to 10 years. So make sure you talk everything over with you doctor beforehand.
Stan
do over
by AgentX86 - 2022-12-27 14:57:48
Sorry, it's slang for "it's done and can't be changed". That is, you can't do it again.
You know you're wired when...
Your favorite poem is Ode to a Cardiac Node.
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One week has passed and I must admit that each day I feel a little stronger.
AV ablation
by AgentX86 - 2022-12-26 22:08:11
I had an AV ablation five (!) years ago. My "sport" is walking. I do 10mi. a day. I don't know if that counts.
I feel the best I have in many years. I can't guarantee anything but I was almost high with the improvement before I got out of the recovery room. I was pumped. That last a couple of weeks before things settled down a bit. I could function again which was what I was there for.
I also had tachy-Brady and pauses so the pacemaker wasn't just because of my flutter. It tagged along. My EP had been suggesting an AV ablation for some time, though.
Swimming and cycling can be a little problematic if you need help with your heart rate. If your SI node is good, you'll be fine. If you need help from the pacemakers rate-response, some pacemakers are better than others for these sports.
Rate response is needed if your heart doesn't naturally adjust heart rate with exertion. If you have this problem, the PM needs to do this task, as well. Since the machine put in your chest can't do blood gas analysis, it has to guess how much energy that you're using. Most pacemakers have an accelerometer for this operation. The theory is that the more your chest moves (looks for foot-falls, in particular) the more energy you need. This guess can be made to work fairly well for most sports. The problem with swimming and cycling is that the chest doesn't move much so the PM can have trouble.
There are pacemakers that do better than others. Some have a "Minute Ventilation" sensor which can usually be set up to more closely match the body's energy demand with heart rate. Nothing is perfect but you must make your lifestyle known to your doctors and make sure that they understand your expectations. There are no do-overs, at least for another 7-10 years.