Any AV Ablation success stories?

Posted by rplaing @rplaing, 3 days ago

Any AV Ablation success stories? I am an 83-year-old active female who for the past two years has undergone 3 heart ablations, placement of a pacemaker and 11 cardio versions. Arrhythmia meds have had various awful side effects. The Arrhythmia Doctor and cardiologist are suggesting an AV node ablation. I was wondering if there was any improvement with the AFib/high heart rate condition with this procedure.

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I believe someone launched a thread a few weeks ago with the very same question. You might find it by going to the main index and sub-forum on heart arrhythmias, and then scrolling down several titles. I think it should be there.
Anyway, yes, literally hundreds of thousands of success stories, but it depends on how we can agree on what 'success' means. I'll explain:
The formal definition of a successful ablation is a full year free of that treated arrhythmia. Anything under that is considered a failure. However, ablations can lose their dominion at 13 months, 33 months, or even 133 months. What I mean is that the disorder they're trying to stem progresses in a disordered heart, and that a single ablation might not work for more than a year or two...or ten. If the heart breaks into AF once again after a successful ablation, then a redo is usually in order, but it depends on what the investigating electrophysiologist determines. If it turns out to be due to a mitral valve prolapse, then another ablation is not going to fix that. Instead, the mitral valve must be fixed first, at which one should expect the EP to agree to do a touchup ablation, or maybe ablate new areas where the rogue firing cells have grown and amassed sufficiently to begin to send out strong enough signals to counter the SA node's signal.
You have had three ablations, apparently, and are still experiencing arrhythmia. As a non-expert (I hasten to claim now), my understanding is that nuking the AV node does not mean automatic conversion to NSR for a fibrillating heart. If it's another arrhythmia, then it will, but not all AF patients find their heart stopping fibrillating when they get a pacemaker with a nuked AV node at the same time. There are exceptions, such as when the AV node has a re-entrant that works its way to the left atrium, and that new signal can cause the left atrium to beat chaotically. If that is what's going on, and it does happen in some patients, then yes, ablating the AV node will stop that pathway, and your left atrium should resume normal rhythm. This is something you can get much more definitively and clearly from a professional, such as a cardiologist or an EP....which I am not.
If you do ask, and get it clear in your mind what he/she is describing, then please consider coming back and letting us know what you have found. It will educate me if nothing else.
Finally, yes, unless there is another arrhythmia that is being masked to them, the EP and team will install a pacemaker that will take over from the AV node and pace you...that's the literal term...pacing. They'll have to adjust it, you'll have an early checkup, usually a week after its installation, and you'll go from there. Your heart should find itself beating much better, and you'll soon adapt to being a bionic person. 😀

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I don't know anything about that A/V node ablation; I just want to say that I am deeply empathetic as to what you have gone through. I hope you find some resolution to your condition.

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Thank you for taking the time to respond I must say that I feel desperate at this phase of my life

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Profile picture for rplaing @rplaing

Thank you for taking the time to respond I must say that I feel desperate at this phase of my life

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I hope you get some responses. My mom is about your age and has just been referred for an ablation procedure. She wants to stop the medication if possible, as it causes her nausea.

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Hopefully the new heart ablation will be successful for your mom I can relate to the horrible side effects from various arrhythmias I have been on They are not an easy medicine to tolerate

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Profile picture for gloaming @gloaming

I believe someone launched a thread a few weeks ago with the very same question. You might find it by going to the main index and sub-forum on heart arrhythmias, and then scrolling down several titles. I think it should be there.
Anyway, yes, literally hundreds of thousands of success stories, but it depends on how we can agree on what 'success' means. I'll explain:
The formal definition of a successful ablation is a full year free of that treated arrhythmia. Anything under that is considered a failure. However, ablations can lose their dominion at 13 months, 33 months, or even 133 months. What I mean is that the disorder they're trying to stem progresses in a disordered heart, and that a single ablation might not work for more than a year or two...or ten. If the heart breaks into AF once again after a successful ablation, then a redo is usually in order, but it depends on what the investigating electrophysiologist determines. If it turns out to be due to a mitral valve prolapse, then another ablation is not going to fix that. Instead, the mitral valve must be fixed first, at which one should expect the EP to agree to do a touchup ablation, or maybe ablate new areas where the rogue firing cells have grown and amassed sufficiently to begin to send out strong enough signals to counter the SA node's signal.
You have had three ablations, apparently, and are still experiencing arrhythmia. As a non-expert (I hasten to claim now), my understanding is that nuking the AV node does not mean automatic conversion to NSR for a fibrillating heart. If it's another arrhythmia, then it will, but not all AF patients find their heart stopping fibrillating when they get a pacemaker with a nuked AV node at the same time. There are exceptions, such as when the AV node has a re-entrant that works its way to the left atrium, and that new signal can cause the left atrium to beat chaotically. If that is what's going on, and it does happen in some patients, then yes, ablating the AV node will stop that pathway, and your left atrium should resume normal rhythm. This is something you can get much more definitively and clearly from a professional, such as a cardiologist or an EP....which I am not.
If you do ask, and get it clear in your mind what he/she is describing, then please consider coming back and letting us know what you have found. It will educate me if nothing else.
Finally, yes, unless there is another arrhythmia that is being masked to them, the EP and team will install a pacemaker that will take over from the AV node and pace you...that's the literal term...pacing. They'll have to adjust it, you'll have an early checkup, usually a week after its installation, and you'll go from there. Your heart should find itself beating much better, and you'll soon adapt to being a bionic person. 😀

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A person can still have afib after insertion of a pacemaker.

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Profile picture for tsch @tsch

A person can still have afib after insertion of a pacemaker.

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Yes, I said as much in my (unfortunately) lengthy reply above.

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