New to the club.

I've been a part of an online heart valve replacement community for many years, so when I found I was getting a pacemaker/ICD implant and AV Node ablation, I was glad to see there is such an active group for this new experience in my heart-walk.  I have had a St. Jude mitral valve for 32 years.  7 years ago I got atrial fibrilation.  The doctors felt, due to my heart history, that cardioversion and/or ablation would not be successful, so for the past 7 years they've tried to medically control it.  My ejection fraction was taking a downturn with each annual echo and this last one it dropped 10-15 points! (Depending on who you talk to.)  It showed I was in Grade B heart failure.  A 2 week monitor showed I was having daily NSVT.  One of the meds I was on was detrimental to heart failure patients, and my cardio and EP cardio decided the best option was to do a pacemaker/ICD implant and AV Node ablation to try and get me off of the one medication and to try and get some control and rest and relaxation for my over-worked heart as well as get me on meds to try and strengthen my heart.

I am 2.5 weeks post-procedure.  It's been a typical recovery of 2 steps forward and one step back.  I've always had arrhythmia of many kinds (mostly benign) and me heart let me know it wasn't particularly pleased with this implant.  But it appears to be adjusting.  My main challenge is that my blood pressure has always been low and the meds I'm on and the ones they want to put me on lower it even more.  So we're trying to work through that.

Blessings!

3 Comments

Welcome

by Good Dog - 2023-09-25 17:38:48

I just want to welcome you to the club! As I am sure you are aware, many of us want to be 100% immediately after a procedure. I guess that is human nature. From your comment it seems that you already know the drill post-procedure. I certainly can appreciate your wisdom.

Make yourself at home here. Hopefully you can make some new friends and help-out someone along the way. Glad you are here.

I wish you the best!

Sincerely,

Dave

I welcome you too

by Gemita - 2023-09-25 19:37:45

Gramzo, 

As an atrial fibrillation (AF) patient, I do know how much havoc it can cause if it is not controlled and I sense that you have been through a difficult period and the only solution was to go down the AV Node ablation route.  Although a last resort, it can provide much needed respite from AF and allow your heart to recover its strength and Ejection Fraction.   As well as eliminating our symptoms from the irregularity of heart rate and rhythm, an AV Node ablation can often help us to get off some of our powerful medication too and that has to be a bonus, wouldn’t you say.  

There are a number of members who have had an AV Node ablation and have had a great deal of relief from their symptoms.  I hope they will see your post and offer much needed support.  I was offered an AV Node ablation but have had immense success from pacing alone and medication.  This is quite unusual, since a pacemaker is certainly not a treatment for AF or  for any other arrhythmia.

Don’t expect miracles overnight.  Your heart has had a shock and not from your ICD and will need time to recover and so will you.  I expect they have set your lower rate limit fairly high (around 80 bpm) which is the norm following an AV Node ablation.  This will help to keep you safe during the healing period following your ablation, which should also help to settle any PVCs too.  I find my PVCs are helped by a fairly high lower rate limit setting.  I also have intermittent, non sustained ventricular tachycardia episodes and these have caused difficult symptoms but are now well controlled, like my AF.

I hope without AF driving your ventricles too fast, you will see improvements quickly, although it may take a little while longer to get your  pacemaker settings optimised for you.   I see you have an ICD to keep you safe.   Do you have a CRT (cardiac resynchronization therapy) device?  With a low ejection fraction (say less than 35 %) they usually offer a CRT device but you don’t mention you have one?

I hope for the very best for you

Thank yonu!

by Gramzo - 2023-09-26 18:19:02

Yes, my rate is set at 80 bpm.  I'm having, what feels like, a lot of PVC's.  At my first in-office interrogation, 1 week post op, my pacemaker was doing 90% of the beats.  Medtronic nurse seemed happy with that.  My EP's NP didn't seem quite as happy.  I don't have another in-office interrogation for 3 weeks.  I have a Medtronic Claria MRI Quad CRTD

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