PACEMAKER

[heartbeat4]

Can a pacemaker stop AF if so why don't doctors recommend them for everyone with AF.

[Hidden]

Hi heartbeat4

Have you been recommended a pacemaker for your AF?

[BobD Volunteer]

No .Pacemakers will not stop AF and even a pace and ablate procedure where after the PM has been fitted and working the AV node is ablated to break the link twixt atrium and ventricle, AF can still be felt by many. The ventricular rate and therefore pulse are governed by the PM but the left atrium is still able to fibrillate if it wants to. The patient should fell better thanks to the regular pulse but may still be aware of the AF. I know several people in this boat who feel much better but it won't stop AF per se. Another occasion where one may be used is to control rate where drugs have reduced it to a dangerous level.

[heartbeat4 in reply to BobD]

Thank you Bob all makes sense now.

[Hidden in reply to heartbeat4]

heartbeat4

The reason I asked was that I did have a pacemaker put in to prevent paroxysmal AF. There was initially considerable enthusiasm for using atrial pacemakers, using so called atrial overdrive algorithms. Subsequently, there seemed to be little evidence the technique was successful in the longer term.

I am likely to need another pacemaker and have been asking if anyone knew of a centre still using this approach.

The answer to your question is yes in theory, but in practice, the technique seems now to be used infrequently.

So could you let me know if you have been recommended a pacemaker for your AF and if so, by whom. I would be very interested to find out. Thank you.

[heartbeat4 in reply to Hidden]

I have just been looking at different treatments for AF and couldn't understand why pacemakers are not used more