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Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group
Welcome to the Heart Rhythm Conditions group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
Did you know that the average heart beats 100,000 times a day? Millions of people live with heart rhythm problems (heart arrhythmias) which occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate heartbeats don't work properly. Let's connect with each other; we can share stories and learn about coping with the challenges, and living well with abnormal heart rhythms. I invite you to follow the group. Simply click the +FOLLOW icon on the group landing page.
I'm Kanaaz (@kanaazpereira), and I'm the moderator of this group. When you post to this group, chances are you'll also be greeted by volunteer patient Mentors and fellow members. Learn more about Moderators and Mentors on Connect.
Let's chat. Why not start by introducing yourself?
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@carly14 It's baloney...my uneducated and untrained opinion. It 'helps' if you happen to be in AF at the time of an ablation, and yes, they can induce AF most of the time using adenosine, caffeine, isoproterenol, and other chemicals, but if you are an early patient, just diagnosed, NOT IN full-time AF, then most likely all the EP has to do is to isolate the pulmonary veins, and that does not require you to be in AF. In fact, since your atrium is not beating chaotically, his/her placement of the energy tip is more predictable and controllable. So, in a sense it's actually better if you're in NSR at the time.
For a second ablation, in my case it was that he had missed one small gap around my 'third' pulmonary vein, which he was hell-bent on re-doing... a full PVI. When he zapped that one tiny gap, my heart immediately went into happy NSR and has remained there, coming up to 3.5 years now. In your case, your disorder may have found a new path, and it WOULD indeed by handy to have that actively firing at the time he begins to map your rogue circuit(s) and zap them.
I hope you see that it's a nuanced question and response...it depends on what we're looking for, your history with AF and with corrective measures, including a previous (successful, or did it fail inside of a year?) ablation. And, to be completely reasonable and fair, his particular training might have made it clear, and predictably reliable, that it's best to have your heart in active AF at the time because it makes stopping it so cut 'n dried. One zap, and your heart resumes steady, unbroken, NSR. He would challenge your heart with isoproterenol, and your heart stays in NSR? Great, he's just found and isolated the problem circuit...which is what all of us want for you.
So, I call baloney, but....I'm not your EP, I don't know all about your history, and you aren't gonna pay me anyway. Take it for what it's worth. And I would go back and ask him for three more minutes to 'splain why. I would think it a great use of my time, and you may just end up getting the procedure you need. Right?