Pacemaker vs. Ablation or both?

Ablation is the gold standard of care these days. In the right hands, you can be liberated from your arrhythmia. But it has to be the right electrophysiologist. So, shop wisely.

Pacemakers are about the final straw. You don't need one unless an ablation simply won't correct your arrhythmia and if the arrhythmia has a high morbidity/mortality outlook.

It sounds like you are in the initial stages of AF, that being 'paroxysmal.' It is a progressive disorder, so get it stopped with a good electrophysiologist (EP) as soon as you can. Letting it go on for months and months just invites more difficulties later on.

@jsc55
AFIB is quite common. Most of the time it is not sustained. When it becomes that most cardiologist will put you on blood thinners to prevent clotting. The biggest risk of having AFIB is strokes caused by blood clots.

Many things can help treat AFIB, medications, losing weight, reduction of stresses, diet. I have just been put on Eliquis as had a sustained AFIB of 4 hours.

VFIB is a whole other matter as is life threatening. A pacemaker paces the ventricles. Ablations, are as one poster posted, is going to the cause of the AFIB or VFIB. Most of time are successful but sometimes takes additional ones.

I was told by EP that every single cell of heart muscle is capable of generating and electrical signal. Thus you can see how much of this is an issue. I am schedule for ablation on LV. I asked for it years ago after a RV ablation worked. But EP wanted to try medications first which helped for a while.