Plus & Minus, node ablation?

[Marney]

Hello everyone. I haven,t posted for quite some time, I have been reading posts but have been feeling perfect for 19 months now since my 3rd ablation. Having afib for 14 years before that time it was like a had a new life. Anyhow the reason today’s post is my EP told me after my last ablation, ( no more). Well I started this week having afib, not near as bad as in the past, however it floored me as I know what may be forth coming. NODE ablation.

My question is to ones that know about this, what are the PLUSES and the MINUSES once you have had this done.

I had a pacemaker installed 5 years ago, as my meds were bringing my HR too low at times. It has a battery life of approx 7 years left on it.

I am female, age 76 and am still on meds, bisoprolol and flecainide.

The actual ablation doesn’t worry me near as much as the MINUSES of this decision.

Any insight on this would be helpfull.

I read the posts on here every day and it helps me a lot.

I don,t know how you could be such a quality group , but you are.

Thank you in advance.

Marney

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Marney, I'm afraid I know nothing about node ablations, but if you type node in to the Search HealthUnlocked box at the top of this page it should throw up loads of posts relating to this subject.

Jean

[cuore]

I have no information on node ablation, but I am concerned with your comment, " my meds were bringing my HR too low at times." Couldn't you get off the meds that were making your heart rate go too low so that you would not have to have a pacemaker?

My other question is your "no more" to a fourth ablation from your EP. Is this because funds are limited in a socialistic system or because there would be no more advantage in a fourth procedure? My international EP tells me that there are patients who have had 8 procedures. There is one in this forum who has had 7and another 5.

I am the same age as you, with similar meds keeping my heart rate too low, and scheduled for my third ablation.

[Marney in reply to cuore]

Hi cuore. My HR was too low before my successful 3rd ablation, therefore had to have pacemaker. That worked for the low HR but the afib was still there, until my 3rd ablation.

:no more: ablations, I presume is conditional on individuals, ? However maybe when I talk again to my EP he may change his mind on that decision. I guess we are all a bit different in what can be done.

I will say , that the pacemaker has definitely helped a lot with low HR.

Plus ,it records a lot of info to do with when, how long, how many afib episodes I have had. I have it read every 6 months.

I have heard that there are some pacemakers that can be read remotely on a consistent basis. That would be very helpfull if this is available.

Teigbfisher, thank you for your positive response re node ablation.

Marney

[Teignfisher]

Hi Marney

I had af for 20 years after AV node ablation last December its been pluses all the way wish I had it done years ago.

Good luck

Mel

[Hidden]

Hi Marney

I’m confused. Has your EP said you will need an AV node ablation, or just that you won’t have another standard left atrial ablation for AF?

My understanding is that you would not be considered for AV node ablation unless you were still symptomatic from fast AF despite medication, or if you had heart failure not responding to treatment, in which case you would have a bi-ventricular pacemaker.

I know nothing about outcomes for AV node ablation, but the majority who report here about their pace and ablate procedures seem glad they had it done. That does not imply a reliable sample but might be a guide.

There are quite a few threads on this which come up via the search box.

[Marney]

Hi Oyster. My EP mentioned that another standard ablation probably would not help me in my situation.

For the last 18 months ,it had been really great, but now it has started to return, however not near as bad as it once was. I am experiencing some afib with high HR.

It isn,t too bad or too often yet, but if it continues and becomes unbearable , then that’s when my EP will suggest a node ablation .

He feels in my situation another standard ablation would not help.

No decision will be made by me at this time, and hopefully a different or new decision or method of ablation will be available.

One day at a time, right.

Thank you for your reply.

Marney