ICD

[Kbuck1234]

Hi,

Is it common for AF people to have an ICD fitted or is this very rare?

[BobD Volunteer]

Very rare. ICDs are for keeping a heart going which occasionally stops and that is not AF. Very occasionally people may have AV node ablation and a pacemaker fitted when all else fails but again not an ICD unless there is a second problem.

Bob

[farmerwalt]

Hi Kbuck1234,

As Bob says, not all that common.

Although I am waiting for a dual ventricular pacemaker with ICD. (It is normally just called a CRT/ICD pacemaker). I have been persistent AF for years and as a result now have dilated cardiomyopathy, (DCM) and heart failure. Because of the DCM and heart failure my ventricles are beating out of synch with each other. The pacemaker resynchronises the ventricles and should improve the output of my heart. The reason for the ICD is because there was short periods of VT showing on one of my ECG's so there is a possibility of that happening more often and could also progress to VF. So it's a case of better safe than sorry. Because of where I live, if I went into VF, the paramedics would never get there in time, so I felt it was better to have the "inbuilt protection" I don't require the av node ablation that Bob mentioned since I have heart block and my HR is usually around 40 - 45.

I assume that since you asked the question that it has been mentioned to you.

Walter.