AB Node Ablation

AV stands for 'Atrio-ventricular' and it is the lower of the two nodes located in the heart's, in the AV node's case it's in the septum. The AV node is the 'failsafe' node that will keep your heart beating at about 30-35 BPM if your SA node, the main node (Sino-atrial node) fails. But, sometimes the AV node causes problems, so much so that the only reasonable, if drastic, recourse is to 'nuke it' and destroy it to prevent it from corrupting the heart's rhythm. If this is all that is left, no other practical choices, then you would be put on a pacemaker for the rest of your life. Note that, as mind-boggling as this may sound if it's the first time hearing of it, it takes place at every large hospital and cardiac clinic all over the planet each day....thousands of patients. It's all that's left for them, but once they have it done, and a few weeks of rehab if that is needed, they find they have their lives back. !!!!! They haven't felt this well in ages....can't remember when!!

You should probably do some googling, some thinking, generate two or three key questions, and then visit your cardiologist/EP once again for a consultation. I would be prepared to give him/her the go-ahead at that meeting if the responses don't alarm you or make you have to go ask others.

Thank you so much. You explained it well. I already have a pace maker as I had such a low heart rate I could not take anti arythmia medication.

@pdavidson
Hello - I can relate to your situation because I also had problems with antiarrhythmic medications not working for my AFib and causing serious side effects. I had persistent AFib, only stopped by cardioversions. Also - like you - I already had a pacemaker, due to low heart rate (from Amiodarone). My electrophysiologist strongly recommended an AV Node Ablation, which - as gloaming described - destroys the AV Node. I like to think of it as "burning the bridge" between the atria and the ventricles. The atria at the top of the heart is where you have AFib originating. The ventricles determine the pulse / heart rate. AFib generally slows down when it goes from the atria through the AV Node to the ventricles (think of an hour glass). However, in my case - I had RVR (rapid ventricular response) with AFib, resulting in dangerously high heart rates. Once the AV Node is destroyed, the pacemaker takes over determining the heart rate. Although I was extremely reluctant to do it, I agreed to have the AV Node Ablation several months ago. I am glad that I did it! My heart rate and my blood pressure are normal! Of course, I have had to have my pacemaker tweaked to meet my needs, but life is now as it should be. Unfortunately, my atria are back in AFib (as expected), but - since the "bridge is burned" - my ventricles are beating normally (per my pacemaker). I can walk up an incline and do other things that persistent AFib prevented me from doing, and I am OFF the antiarrhythmic meds! Good luck with your decision!