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Has anyone with a pacemaker had an ablation for AFib?
I have had a pacemaker since 2021. I have been in AFib for 3 months now. My EP prescribed Flecainide, which did not convert me. Now they have me on Propafone, which also does not seem to be working. I was prescribed Amiodarone with my first episode of AFib; it was extremely toxic to my lungs. For a previous AFib, I took Sotalol (and converted) - but my nephrologist said my kidney function is too bad for Sotalol. I also had a cardioversion for another episode of AFib (which lasted 7 months). Medications do not seem to be the answer.
My EP is recommending a simple Ablation, as opposed to a complex Ablation. In his words, "The simple ablation does not fix AFib but allows your pacemaker to control the heart so you would not feel it ever again and your heart rate would be controlled".
Is there anyone with a pacemaker who has had an ablation for AFib? If so, can you please share your experience? Did your pacemaker control your heart rate after an ablation? Obviously, my pacemaker is not controlling my heart rate now. My recent echo showed my AFib also has a Rapid Ventricular Response, so I am very concerned about what to do. Thank you!
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I was not present when your EP described the 'simple ablation' procedure, but it sounds to me, as uneducated as I am about medical stuff, that he means an AV node ablation. If he says that you won't be so symptomatic, I can only conclude that you'll still have the AF, and the pacemaker probably won't be able to control it, but by nuking the AV node they'll control the RVR a lot better and you won't feel breathless and so anxious. Once again, this is what I THINK he means, but really you ought to put the question to the physician.
Here is what I found, if you haven't seen it:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/23013-av-node-ablation
https://a-fib.com/treatments-for-atrial-fibrillation/av-node-with-pacemaker/
If you know for a fact that your AV node was destroyed during your pacemaker implantation, then what I have offered is of no value...sorry.
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4 ReactionsGloaming - thank you so much for the explanation. Yes, he did mention AV node ablation. He was the EP who implanted my pacemaker, so I am sure he knows whether or not it was destroyed! I very much appreciated reading the Cleveland Clinic article. I obviously meet the criteria for an AV Node Ablation. My EP is hard to get an appointment with; generally, I am shuffled to a PA or NP. However, my nephrologist intervened, and I have an appointment with him in April to discuss all options. Before I read the article you referenced, my reading indicated that an AV Node Ablation was not used much anymore - that a complex ablation was preferred. I, of course, do expect to be dependent on the pacemaker for the rest of my life. Thanks again.
I had the Watchman procedure done in January 2024 due to having AFIB for several years, and I am not able to take blood thinners due to falls. I had a cardioversion several years ago, but that only stopped the AFIB for a brief while. My AFIB symptoms have become more and more evident as of late, so a ZIO test was prescribed, with the results making me even more anxious than ever. I am now in the process of getting an AV node ablation and pacemaker implantation done. I have read things and viewed videos about this procedure, but now I am even more freaked out. I am reaching out to see if any others have gone through the scenario I have and will be doing to lessen the AFIB flutters, anxiety, lack of energy, etc., etc., etc. I am interested in the pros and cons and the experience shared with me. Thanks.
My story is a bit different. I had the ablation first(Jan 2024) which has stopped my a fib. I had an RVR - rapid ventricular response. I had a pacemaker implanted February of 2024 after wearing a Zio monitor which detected bradycardia. The pacemaker also helps with my RVR. I have had my pacemaker adjusted twice for that. I hope you find a solution to your problem.