Hi. I would appreciate any members who have had pace and ablate giving me feedback on results for them. Cardiologist says that as I have episodes every week lasting approx 20 hours and a heart rate reaching 175bpm he wants me to have this procedure as he says such a high rate will eventually weaken my heart. 3 ablations and medication have been unsuccessful. I realise it's not a cure. Thanks.
Sunigirl
I have met two ladies with pacemakers and both are doing remarkably well. One saw a post from me on this site, made contact and then called here. She had had several ablations which had not cured AF so she had a pacemaker fitted. It had solved her problems so she was yet to have the AV node ablated. I understand that it is not completely removed so that in the event of battery failure your heart does just manage to keep going.
It's scary, isn't it? You are so wise to do your research. I may well be in your position one day and I wish you well.
PS. Ask about the new type of pacemaker which looks like an AAA battery and is injected up via the groin. It may not be suitable but this may well be the future type used and it looks easier as there are no wires involved.
Hi Jenny thanks for your interesting reply. I have had my pacemaker since 2011 so I don't suppose I would be offered the latest one. Mine is called a St Jude. Scarily St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes - Oh dear ...... Why on earth did they call it that . 😏 Best Wishes
Sunigirl
Hi sunigirl, when I got my St Jude CRT-D pacemaker fitted 7 weeks ago, I was told that St Jude was the patron saint of healing. Prefer that to the lost causes.
Walter
Thanks Walter, yes I prefer that too.😀
Hope all goes well for you, sending best wishes
Sunigirl
Hi Sunigirl,
Thanks for your good wishes. PM seems to be doing well.
Hope things go well for you once you get it fitted.
Walter.
Didn't know that!!
Well technically the CRT doesn't heal anything ..... but it gives you a good chance of survival if it is activated!!!!
Hi Peter,
The very reason I opted for the CRT-D. Where I live, paramedics would never get to me in time. As you say, got a better chance of survival, if it's required.
Walter.
I have Afib and my heart can go to 254 bpm, two cardioaversions and didnt put it right, then onto a tablet called amiodarone which nearly finished me off, caused thyroidtoxicosis, filled my right lung and everywhere else with fluid the lung collapsed so no ablations I am not a suitable candidate so its Pace and Ablate for me, on the waiting list....its geat reading your posts gives me a bit more courage.....hope you who have had it are doing well ....I am over and above the top with Bisoprolol 15 mgs a day and Adezem 180mg a day, along with masses of water tabets and other stuff...so be glad to get off some of these things....
My situation exactly as your lady not having had the AV node ablation. My HR now seems to stay in the 70’s now, used to be in the 60’s and the AF episodes I have had HR rarely exceeds 120 but from every other day episodes - down to ver occasional - usually when I have a virus.
Hi Sungirl,
I have had the procedure, had the pacemaker fitted in November last year and in March this year had an AV node ablation.
I no longer take arrhythmia meds and take only Rivaroxiban and candestartan.
I am like a new woman since this procedure, I have my life back and have gone back too work.
I still occasionally am aware of palpitations but they do not bother me at all.and you are right it is not a cure but can give you back your life ,I to had three failed ablations.
Good luck
Wendi x
Thanks so much your reply to this question is just what I wanted to hear too, I’m currently waiting for my third ablation (May be a long wait now) and have been told if that fails I can have a Pace and ablate. I’d so love to be able to stop my 10mg bisoprolol. Thanks again.
Hi Wendi
I am so pleased with your reply and it's brilliant you feel so good.
I am on the waiting list at Wythenshawe Hospital Manchester. Thank You
Sunigirl
Hi Wendi. Would you please tell me if there is a lot of adjusting to be done to pacing rate or was it all sorted before you went home after AV node ablation. I have pre med on mon 5th and procedure on 13th Oct. sorry to pester you. Thanks and best wishes
Susan 😉
do you already have your pacemaker? I had that fitted and then two weeks later, I had my AV node done. They initially had it set for 80. I don’t know what type of pacemaker you have or are getting for me. It’s all done on the computer I don’t even have to be there. My first check up after a month it was lowered to 70 and very soon it may go to 60. Because I lived with such a high heart rate for eight months, even 80 was quite the drop. Right now I am seeing my EP more often because I have heart failure and that may need a few tweaks. I had an echo done today and may need meds for the heart failure. Other than that, I will only see my doctor every 2 to 3 months sometimes I won’t even see him. It will be a pacemaker check up with the tech from the company. Eventually, I will only see him once a year. My cardiologist will take everything over. The week I had my AV node etc. done I had to go have my incision checked because it is so serious if we were to get an infection or our leads move. As far as them telling you about activity really pay attention it’s not a joke, and if you pull the lead out it’s going to be miserable to get everything fixed. It’s not hard to follow the instructions. The hardest thing in the beginning I found was ignoring my pacemaker. I was so aware of it. You will make yourself crazy. I swore when I turned on my side I could feel the weight of it lol it’s only the size of a half dollar. Much of the problems I had in the beginning was because of what was in my head, not the pacemaker.
I can confirm what he said. After an aggressive procedure last April, I went downhill and into tachycardia with a heart rate in the 150s until October of last year. I ended up with heart failure because of my exhausted heart due to the tachycardia. I could no longer walk, I had no feeling from below the knee to the tips of my toes and excruciating pain in my arms to the tips of my fingers. Everything hurt. Just standing left me feel as though I had a car parked on my chest, and I would be nauseous, dizzy And could not see clearly.
Until recently there was not a pacemaker for my particular issues. I also have a typical flutter. My last cardioversion completely failed. They tried to shock me three times with no response. Initially, I was going to be tried on a new med and kept in the hospital for several days because the med has its issues but nothing else worked. That was all canceled, I was put on digoxin it failed twice in a month where it had to be doubled. We had already spoken about pace and ablate, but I had no idea I was getting something special. The FDA the states had only recently approved it. To say I experienced a miracle is the tip of the iceberg. Never did. I think I could feel the way I do again in my life. I have no regrets.
AV Node Ablation with pacemaker
After Av node ablation
AV Node Ablation and Pacemaker
Pacemaker with AV Node Ablation 
