New high-tech heart mapping could throw a lifeline to thousands of desperately ill heart failure patients

[Charleneadmin]

Read the article from The Daily Mail here:

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

[CDreamer]

Hi John - I think you have misunderstood the significance to AF - this is not a treatment and it certainly is not less invasive than ablation.

This article describes advanced mapping (read imaging) technique to assist placement of re-synchronisation of pacemaker leads more accurately.

Abalation v PM - like comparing Apples and Orange.

Whilst one can appreciate the recent huge advances in imaging technologies, having had both ablation and Pacemaker ReSynchronisation therapy I can say from experience that both are invasive, only difference is the ablation was performed under sedation whereas the PM under a local with no sedation. Time taken for PM insertion has always been much less than for ablation.

Ablation treats AF

Pacemaker treats other conditions such as Bradycardia, SSS (sick sinus syndrome) and PM Resynchronisation Therapy is for Heart Failure or to prevent HF in vulnerable patients.

In my experience it certainly was not simpler for the EP and it certainly was not less invasive for me as you will see from my post of June 2019.

The up side - I have felt much better heart wise since the procedure was completed.

[CDreamer]

And it’s not a treatment.......it’s a technology

[CDreamer]

I do not wish to be pedantic but the article is not about an AF treatment - period.

It is about new imaging technology which assists placement of pacing wires - which can help prevent scarring- which can lead to heart attack so in that instance it is less damaging.

But PM is not an acknowledged treatment for AF and I wanted to make that clear to anyone reading your reply.

I’ve been through both procedures.

Hope I’ve made that clear now, so I will leave it there.

Best wishes CD.

[Buffafly in reply to CDreamer]

I thought the technique is intended to avoid areas of scarring which had already happened during heart attacks, thus improving the efficacy of the PM. I'm assuming scarring from ablation doesn't affect the placement of leads?

[CDreamer in reply to Buffafly]

That was also my understanding Buffafly.

Re- previous ablations- I’m not sure 🤔. Three leads are placed - 2 to the ventricles & 1 into the right atria. If you have had ablation for AF then it wouldn’t matter but if the right atria was a later as in Flutter - then possibly. Scarring can also occur from other reasons, alcohol for instance.

My point was that Ablation is not the focus of the article.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to CDreamer]

Ablation scarring should not be an issue here CD/Buff as that occurs in the left atrium where no leads are fitted. The scarring from heart attacks is dead areas caused by loss of blood supply in both ventricles which are never touched during ablation. My understanding anyway.

[CDreamer]

I am unaware that HF can be treated with ablation? Would you like to quote your sources please?

As I understand it the article is talking about the placement of wires for Pacemaker Resynchronisation Therapy - that is not ablation which simply means:-

Ablation is removal or destruction of material from an object by vaporization,

You can ablate a good number of things but I don’t think HF is one of them, but I stand corrected if you can state your sources of information.

Quoted Article Headline:-

New high-tech heart mapping could help pinpoint the perfect spot for a pacemaker and throw a lifeline to thousands of desperately ill patients

According to the expert speaker at Patient Day the 2 treatments appropriate for HF = Drug therapy or Pacemaker ReSynchronisation Therapy. You may be able to download the slides from the AFA website. Ablation was never mentioned and as HF can have many causes other than AF, it needs individual assessment as to treatment options. My husband’s HF was caused by Aortic Stenosis, although he did also have AF.

Headline:-

New high-tech heart mapping could help pinpoint the perfect spot for a pacemaker and throw a lifeline to thousands of desperately ill patients

Catheter ablation is a treatment option for people with AF.

[CDreamer]

Hi John - we are misunderstanding each other - I quote from your first post

“Let us hope that this is a simpler less invasive procedure than say an Ablation ,ie the 2 hour time that it takes, it seem to indicate so.”

This statement indicated to me that you were talking about ablation.

Yes, there is a link between HF & AF no dispute there but AF does not always cause HF as HF May precede or even be a cause of AF.

[Lamsie]

Hi John I was literally on the table in theatre in Sept and given sedation etc for my ablation, when the consultant entered my heart with the catheters he advised that he could not proceed as it was more complicated than he thought and needed a specialist team and heart mapping equipment. So I am back 28 of this month so he can proceed using heart mapping.

Hope this helps x