Well my appointment is through for this surgery , I am an absolute wreck of fear . 2nd of September so next week . At least I don’t have long to worry . They say I need to stay in overnight . I have a lot of questions . Does anyone know if you can still wear an Apple Watch . I’m not going to ask that as it’s a bit silly ...also can I still do my walking , I have had AF for a long time and I’m not suitable for another ablation , and I’ve had my share of cardio version.i just need some normality in my life ...thank you for any advice on this ...
Pace maker and node ablation - Atrial Fibrillati...
Pace maker and node ablation
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Betty57
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I don't know any answers to your questions, but wanted to let you know that I'll be holding good thoughts for you!
You might want to ask your doctor or specialist if there is anything you can take for anxiety--it can't hurt to ask. Good thoughts coming your way starting NOW !!!
Thank you .
Hi Betty - not sure which part of the procedure you are going in for but assuming it will be the PM insertion? Normally the AV node ablation is done about 6 weeks after to ensure the PM is working effectively.
The pacemaker insertion is normally 1-2 hours in the cath lab so it’s not open heart surgery, it’s a small cut near your collar bone. It’s done under local anaesthetic- like you would have at a dentist but you can ask for sedation if you are very nervous. When I had my PM inserted I was called in at 11.00 am for a procedure at 1.00pm - they left me at home to make sure the procedure would go ahead - I had been bumped 3 times prior to it going ahead - actually that was by far the worst - the build up - the anxiety and then the disappointment!
I was on the ward by 1.20pm and after pre-procedure protocols was in the cath lab by 1.45p.m - out by 3p.m and then had to stay in for observation for 4 hours, have and X-ray and then home again so home by 8pm.
You cannot lift your arm above shoulder height for 6 weeks and you need to be especially careful until the wound has healed and no driving for a while, gentle walking is fine but you may find that your HR will not rise as they put a limit on my HR for the first 6 weeks until everything had settled, then they adjust the PM settings so you are not limited. The worst thing I found was finding a comfortable bra - avoid any with a metal clip on the front of the strap as they always manage to rub near the PM and irritate.
I didn’t go ahead with the AV node ablation - because I felt SO much better after the pacemaker was inserted and quite unexpectedly for both my EP and me - it stopped all the arrythmias. 2 years on - still no AF and still feeling so much better with the PM. Ta
Sometimes they do keep you in, my husband had an overnight because of his age and other heart condition.
Wishing you a speedy recovery and the only thing you need to avoid is standing over induction hobs and going through some airport scanners but you just show them your PM card and get a pass which usually means a physical pat down. Yes you can wear Apple Watch.
Thank you for that , it’s a bit better to hear someone else’s story . I’m going in at 10.30 . I have very low blood pressure , maybe that’s why they are keeping me in . Other than that I’m fit and healthy , I don’t have an induction cooker .ha ha . I am very nervous about it . Fear of the unknown I suspect . I’m hoping I don’t get told no as I’ve worked myself up ready for it ...thank you ...
I had low BP as well - all my life - no longer! PM sorted that out. It’s natural to be nervous - you are going into the unknown & that’s always anxiety provoking - deep breaths & positive thinking really do help. Banish all those negative ‘what ifs’ & focus on just how this will help you & improve your QOL.
Betty, I just want to agree with CDreamer. I had PM in April. The unknown can certainly cause anxiety I was kept over night but that was OK. I was sedated and remember nothing about the actual implant. Didn’t wear a bra for a while but in time the area has gotten less sensitive. My suggestion is to not push yourself afterwards. Give yours time to heal. I was impatient and for me it took several weeks to build up my strength, but for some not so long. Maybe my age had something to do with it taking longer to heal. In the long run all will be well. I’m getting 7000 plus steps in a day and more with no problem now. And wear my Apple Watch! Have had AF a long time also and not suitable for another ablation. This week went in for device check said AF was occurring 8% of time which I think maybe better than before PM. After all is said and done you will be grateful for having the PM , but I truly understand the anxiety of unknown. Take good care.
I think CD covered the answers to your post very well Betty - there's nothing I can add.
Except one thing - GOOD LUCK and hope all goes well 
Paul
HiBetty,,
I had crt pacemaker His bundle(fairly new procedure) 15th May with no probs followed by av node ablation 1st August .I have now got my life back after 2years of persistent fast afib.Wishing you all the best.🙂
Hello, I have just received my date 25 September for my next ablation, It may sound a bit odd but it can't come fast enough for myself as like you I have had AF for some time now.
You really don't need to worry, I know quite a few people who have had a pacemaker fitted and they say best thing they have had done as life much improved.
I play golf, well try, 3 times per week and intend to carry on as long as possible.
What ever worries you have discuss with your cardiologist, but I'm sure you will be perfectly OK
Best wishes
Dave
Thank you very much .i feel a bit more at ease now thanks you lovely people .
Good luck Betty. Wishing you success and a speedy recovery. Saul
Hi Betty, I’ve had my PM for 3years in October, had the AV Ablation in the following May.My specialist tried me on several drugs but had permanent AF so I chose the AV ablation. Best thing I ever did. When I go for the pacemaker check they tell me I’m always in AF but I can’t feel it now. The only thing I ever had a problem with was using wireless headphones to watch TV, all the family could use them but when I tried they would have terrible static noise, a small price to pay. Good luck, I’m sure you will be like a new person when it’s done.
I so feel for you, anxiety is the very devil isn't it! I keep apologising via this forum, saying that we are all different I know BUT I still want to tell you that having a pacemaker and node ablation has, as in an earlier post, given me my life back. You will be fine! Just ask any questions, nothing is too silly. Also, I kept looking for a comfortable type of bra afterwards and eventually found them in M&S, sort of camisole shape, lacy and nice (just a bit high cut for some clothes).
All my very good wishes.
Ah the dreaded bra , I shouldn’t have much trouble there , I’m small ..ha ha ha ...I will defo have a look on M&S though , it’s the little things that I need to know ...thank you ...the one weird thing is my husband is not aloud in he has to drop me at the door , I understand it’s the world we live in just now , but I will still feel all alone ...thank you ....
I too had that procedure 5 years ago. Changed my life completely. Can do most things now. I was only a month before they did the av node ablation. I have to say I was terrified too, but really not much to worry about. I WAS worried the first time I hit a golf ball on the first tee three months after the op, worried the leads might displace! No problem. Had to have induction hob removed. Small price to pay for a pretty normal life.
Hi - hubby had pacemaker and central node ablation (for AF) some years ago, just had pacemaker battery changed which gives you an idea of time scale. After it all healed up post op - which wasn’t that long - he said he wished he had had it done sooner because he felt so much better.
Have no idea about the watch but suggest you write a list of all your questions so the professionals can go through everything and, hopefully, help put you at ease
All the best
Kardia doesn’t work with a pacemaker (officially) so probably watch won’t either.
I am hoping to have same procedure at some point so will be interested to hear how you get on 🦋
I will let you know how I get on ...
I got my pacemaker in 2012 and had the av node ablated in 2018. I have tachybrady and the meds for Afib didn’t agree with me so that is why I had the procedure. As others have said the anxiety is the worst part. Do some focused aware breathing, relax and think of the positive results to come. I’m sure everything will be just fine.
Hi Betty. Good luck! Wishing you all the very best xx
Wishing you all the best Betty. I’m due for ablation number three on Tuesday 1st Sept and have been told if this fails yours is the next thing in line. I’m also nervous about being on my own but guess were all in the same boat at the moment, Good luck x
Thank you . Yes I only had one ablation , I was told I’m not suitable for any more , I will be glad when it’s all over though ...we are all in this together right enough ,,take care x
Betty57, why have they said you aren't suitable for another ablation?
I have no idea . The cardiologist just said because the ablation I had only lasted 2 months that it wouldn’t be wise to do another . We had a long chat and I have been getting cardio versions that again are only lasting days then my heart rate is way back up so the PM was discussed with a node ablation 4 weeks later ...
Thanks for the reply Betty, the reason I asked is that I had an ablation two months ago and am still getting bouts of, what I call angry AF, virtually every day and I have a (phone appointment) with the doctor that did it but it's not for another 4 weeks and I'm at my wits' end..
Aww that’s not good , that was like me , I was just so tired of it , I still am just now , that’s why they said a PM and node ablation was best for me ...I hope you get to the bottom yours as well ...so many knowledgeable people on here , they have all made me feel at ease . Until the day ....x
I find your case puzzling. You say cardiologist and not electrophysiologist who is guiding you. With only one ablation, you are now to get a pacemaker because your AF came back after two months? You do not say how many cardioversions you have had. Because you were persistent, you would have had the pulmonary veins ablated plus other areas of the atria. It is most likely that all the areas could not have been ablated fully (the heart tends to swell if the procedure is long) , plus there could be some reconnection. When one is persistent, especially for a long time, it is rather standard to have more than one ablation.
In my case, I have had three ablations to get me to fifteen months sinus rhythm. My friend was told, like you, to get a pacemaker after his first ablation. He went out of country for an ablation, and now three years later, he is still in sinus rhythm.
My concern is that you say, " I have no idea" really why you are getting a pacemaker after only one ablation. In your shoes, I would want to know more to be really comfortable with the decision, and I would even get a second opinion.
Hi I had one ablation and 4 cardio versions .im not sure why the said I was not good for another ablation,my cardiologist said I would be more suited to a pacemaker and node ablation .i just have to put my trust in my drs and pray it’s right for me .my last cardio version was about a month ago now and 2dats later my heart rate was 150 .if there was something else I would hope the drs would offer me it .im having to travel 60 miles to a bigger hospital for this and my husband is not aloud in ,which I understand given COVID-19. This decision has not been easy but I’m sure it will give me a better quality of life .
I have had a pacemaker for a year and I find it is fine for me. The only thing is that I can't lie on my left side, I find it beats or my heart beats not sure which! I am medication free apart from Apixaban for a stroke which is a bonus, don't be terrified it is nothing really just a small incision and I was asleep anyway. I still have AF but feel it occasionally
All the best. Chris.
Dear Betty - no-one could have been more scared than me when I had my pacemaker inserted in February 2019. Having had 5 ablations, it was the only option as I was being admitted to A&E on a very regular basis, with heart rate in AF sometimes of 250 bpm. Awful, it could happen anytime, anywhere.
I had the PM procedure, which was certainly no worse than the previous ablations. It was very sore for a week or so, and I slept in a long sleeve thin T shirt with the sleeve pinned to the body so that I could not raise my arm during the night when I was asleep. It took me a good 2 weeks to recover.
6 weeks later, I had the AV node ablated. This was a much simpler procedure, they zapped the AV node several times, and I was completely unaware of the PM taking over my heartbeat. I had to lie still afterwards for about 20 mins while the PM paced my heart at 40 which was a bit weird, but this was to check that it had worked. The recovery from this was fine. The only problem I had was that if I moved my arms too much, my pulse would go to about 150, then settle. I demonstrated this to the PM technicians at my check up, by doing touch toes a few times, and they saw on their machines that my heart was racing when I moved my upper body. It seems there is a Rate Response sensor on the PM which picks up upper body movement and the sensor increases the heart rate. It did not happen when I walked quickly, but wave my arms around and - bang! So in the end they turned the RR off, and it all much improved.
I had a couple more blips, but on the whole I am very glad I had it done. I was particularly grateful during the peak of the pandemic, not to be having AF attacks and taken to hospital every couple of weeks.
I really know how you feel, I used to cry with fear before it was done. Now, I know it was the best thing for me.
Everyone is different and react in different ways to the device, but do not worry, the technicians will sort you out and tailor your PM to work just right for you.
Best wishes
Theresa
Thank you very much ..x
Dear Betty,
I hope you are now back home with your PM and your doing well. My husband had his done after one Ablation as was like you, would not benefit from a second. His scar had healed nicely and he goes for his six week check up on 25th September, where they will be able to see how things have been going.
On Monday he was taken off his 10mg of bisoprolol and put onto 80mg of sotalol twice a day, ......plus his ramipril of 1.25mg and his rivaroxiban of 20mg.
I was surprised when I’ve been reading all the posts around what people have gone through and suffered before all the procedures, I suppose everyone is a thumb print and not all AF is the same...
My husband had case has been so different to most, as he was diagnosed when he was 60 on a medical check for his job, thankfully he was diagnosed and medicated and stayed well and controlled with neveprolol and blood thinner first then discharged with only neveprolol. He remained stable for two years.
Sadly he ended up in hospital with an acute kidney infection and discharged from the same hospital under care of GP. Unknown to us, he was in PP/AF for six weeks whilst awaiting the appointment that the GP refereed him back to cardiology at same hospital and on that appointment ended up on the heart failure ward, as his heart had been racing all that time with nothing to help it and had now been damaged. We only found this out, not from the hospital but through the DVLA cause I insisted he had the echo that was promised and they needed the scan info, wrote back to us and his ejection fraction was at an all time low because of the damage the heart had gone through in those six weeks with no help....!!!
The journey has been long and stressful to him and myself (as I have health issues)...it started 1/6/19 and he has gone through, lots cardio versions, then stabilised with different drugs as they couldn’t get him back in rhythm ( bear in mind when he first got diagnosed with AF at 60, he never needed cardioversion as meds’ put him straight into rhythm after 5 days).... this is how I have medical evidence that his heart was fine, before the hospital cock up of discharging him when his heart was racing at 200bpm for six weeks and failed by everyone whilst awaiting this six week cardiology appointment.... it saddens me that he’s been let down so badly and now is still suffering.... obviously Betty his case is so different to yours...and many on here....
His PM has been fitted and I’m not feeling confident as he went out of rhythm after two weeks ( oh he also pre PM had been on Amiodarone too which was supposed to be the drug to get him back into rhythm.... that failed too)!!
So he won’t have a second opinion like I would and is staying with the same hospital and where we are at at present is... more drugs, PM and awaiting check week after next... sadly I’m not thinking he’s any better and is just exhausted 😴 and sleeping quite a lot.... I’m dreading when they decide to cut the electrics as I’ve lost faith and confidence in the current specialists he’s been under... cardiologist( specialises in AF) and an Electrophysiologist cardiologists!
I will end on a positive note, the PM procedure was nothing compared to the Ablation of 41/2 hours.... and the scar has healed beautifully and not much pain after....I just hope whatever happens next will be the right thing for my husband to get his life back, as for his job, it’s hanging by a thread, but money is nothing... I’d sooner have him here and his health back to at least some normality... I’m trying to stay positive for him, but worried!!
Any help from others reading this would be appreciated.
As for you Betty, your PM will give you a new lease of life and no meds will be brilliant for your quality of life too... I’m sure as I write this you are healing well... just no lifting of those arms is a must! I wish you well, Karen xx
Hi thank you so much for sharing your journey with me . Sad as it is , it was interesting to hear from beginning to where you are now . It’s some journey . My own story has also gone on for years before I got to this pm which so far is healing fine , my heart rate is still high while resting ... I have an av node ablation to get in a few weeks time which should help a lot , my journey started a few years ago when I had a virus that put me into hospital on Iv antibiotics, after a week I started feeling better but then it left me with AF , I don’t seem to tolerate a lot of pills , I am hopeful after this ablation that my pills will go except the Apixaban . It’s not an easy time when your not feeling great , I’m 63 and I have a good few years that I want to enjoy ...I will be thinking of you and your other half , we are all different on here and we all deal with our stuff differently , I personally like the support this site gives me and some great information and tips ...my husband has been a farmer all his days and has hands like shovels, so him washing my hair has been a bit like getting put in a washing machine , he doesn’t know what gentle is , ha ha . I keep telling him I’m not a sheep being dipped ..ha ha . Bless him he does try ...I will be glad when I can get things done for myself again ...you take care Karen .....best wishes from betty xx
Hi Betty,
So glad to hear your healing well, you made me laugh with your hubby, as mine is the same as yours with the gentle side comes in...!! 🤣🤣
Yes, I agree with you... this site is great for help, tips and each journey! I think it’s great because knowledge is power and I need that right now to help the next phase of his journey.... he turns 63 on the 19th of this month and like you is still so young and yes... so much to still do and enjoy life...❤️
I wish you well with your next phase as I think this has been mentioned to him if the sotalol doesn’t help!
Did you have to go back at six weeks to have your pacemaker checked to see if set to suit you?
Also I’m sorry to hear how you ended up with AF through what sounds like a virus... did they ever tell you that the virus had effected the heart?
How did they tell you on your diagnosis, if you don’t mind me asking?
So pleased to hear your doing so well, and look forward to hearing your next part of your journey, which my hubby maybe following xx
When I had went into hospital after AF started I asked how I could have this .they said it can happen for no reason but they thought mine was clouded by the virus I had .gosh I was really ill mostly not knowing what it was even docs didn’t know they gave me so many tests ,lumber puncture ,brain scan ,heart scan .everything .they couldn’t find it .when I was put on antibiotics 4 days later I started to recover .slowly .i was so weak and had lost a lot of weight .then when I got home .a few days later was my first episode of a very fast heart beat .and that was the beginning of all of this .but hey ho .im here to tell my tale and same as your husband we will live our life to the best we can .i will keep you posted on my next part . Xx
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