Pacemaker Defibrillators

[margar17]

I've read a comment here about someone having a pacemaker fitted for AF. I asked about this procedure in hospital and was told that it is not suitable for people with AF because the heartbeat is too fast when an episode occurs! I'm puzzled now.... anyone have any thoughts on this?

[BobD Volunteer]

OK lets us look at what happens. AF is fibrillation of the left atrium. The top chamber. Pacemakers usually work by maintaining a good regular beat in the ventricle, the lower pumping chamber of the heart. It will not stop the AF. If you have a pacemaker and then have the AV node ablated then the PM takes over running the heart and you are totally reliant on it. The atrium will still fibrillate when it wants to but you will have a regular (machine regulated) ventricle beat. The people in the hospital obviously are not fully aware of how these things work. It is known as pace and ablate.

Bob

[George2467814 in reply to BobD]

Thank you Bob surprised hospital you say does not understand as I went several times to Cardiac Unit and was referred to the specialist for Pacemakers and after several monitoring sessions 7 days - and 24 hours was told if I find I can live with it ok, if not they said I can have pacemaker....they have never gone into detail saying only my heartbeat is iregular therefore AF....now also on warfarin bisoprolol and amlodipine......keep reasonably well play bowls and 9 holes golf weekly.As I'm 83 feel grateful I am still mobile etc.

[Hidden in reply to George2467814]

I,ve had a PM fit and an ablation,the PM was fit to regulate my irregular heart beat and the ablation was for my AF,As far as I understand they are different problems.Please will some one correct me if I,m wrong.Thanks

[squady in reply to BobD]

nice one bob I suffer with stage 3 copd severe bronchiectasis and paf

the paf is not responding to drugs so they are looking at ab ablation

I said to my doctor that I fancied the idea of a pacemaker/ablation so as you say it would sort out the paf and make my breathing a little easier

mt doctor stated they don't do it for my problems.

[BobD Volunteer]

See what I said above please. Many people with AF have a pacemaker fitted when the drugs they are on slow the heart too much. As I said a PM will not control AF as they only control the ventricle and will not touch the AF. . It is often the case that following fitting of the PM they will ablate the AV node which links the various sections of the heart and then you become dependent on the PM. The irregular heart beat is a result of the AF so if they switch off (ablate) the natural pacemaker (the AV Node)then the atria can't affect the ventricle but that then needs the PM to control it. There will be plenty more info on the main AF A website I commend to your reading.

Bob

[Hidden]

My Heart rate was in my boots so mine was fitted to keep me at 60 beats per minute it enables me to take meds for AF and other arythmias

[Lukaszewicz]

I have a pacemaker/defibrillator in one device they implanted it back in November 2012 I went into the hospital cause I couldn't breath and they thought I had phnomonia said I was a fib heart beats too fast and also too slow device controls both that I know of I have never been shocked was told that it will knock me off my feet if it does though I am also on lisinoprol digoxin and carvidol in the morning and Coumadin and carvidol and simvastin at night.

[BJShaf]

I just recently had a pacemaker placed to help the heart rate due to AF. I had to be taken off the anti arhythmic medications due to dropping my heart rate extremely low once I was back into NSR. After 3 different ones and to keep me from having black out spells a pacemaker is being used so the heart rate can be set to keep it in control regardless if I am in AF or NSR. In a few weeks I will be restarted on medication for the rhythm control and if my heart rate drops it will not matter because the pacemaker will bring it back up immediately in a safe range and keep me from blacking out, dizzy, breaking a limb due to a fall . I have a healthy heart, no blockages of any kind and want to keep it that way. I am hearing from my EP cardiologist that many AF people when they convert back to NSR from medication have a tendancy to drop their heart rate way too low and its a common problem with some.