I’m having an AV node ablation and dual lead pacemaker implanted. I’m feeling a bit of trepidation. Any information from those of you who’ve had this procedure would be appreciated.
Just quickly I’ve had two failed ablations and nine cardioversions in the last two years. I have persistent AF/AFL/AT. I’m feeling disappointed—I’d had great hopes for the ablations. I have a Watchman. With that and a pacemaker I’ll be off all drugs (except baby aspirin, which barely counts when compared to the dreadful amiodarone). I enthusiastically look forward to being off drugs and having minimal stroke risk.
I’m soon 83 and my goal is simply quality of life in my remaining years. Those of you with pacemakers, have they given you the QOL you wanted?
What would be helpful for me to know about pace-and-ablate? Recovery time? Pain? Clothing the first month after? Adjusting settings on the pacemaker? I’m just starting to get my head around this development.
Written by
Sweetmelody
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I’m 80. Had pace and a late at 78! Life’s good. Did 10k+ steps today. Told I am in A fib 100% of the time but can’t feel a thing and only take 30 of Edoxaban.
Good morning. I had an AV node ablation last November. I already had a PM for heart block when I had AF. I haven’t had one day since when I have had to cancel or change plans because of AF.
My quality of life has improved enormously. Best thing I have done since starting with AF.
I only take Apixaban. Strange that you take aspirin instead of a regular anticoagulant.
I had some mild discomfort in my groin afterwards and I took it easy for a week or two. I didn’t have to wear different clothing. I’m an active 77year old female
I left hospital with my PM set at 80bpm and this was reduced to 60bpm three months later. In my case my heart rate can increase as necessary depending upon what I’m doing. Currently my resting heart rate is 64bpm.
I hope this answers your queries. The procedure is covered by sedation and I tolerated it well even though I’m a whimp when it comes to these things.
“My quality of life has improved enormously.” Music to my ears! 🎶🦻🎶. That’s what has pushed to onto this next step in my bumpy afib journey. I’m sincerely happy for you! And want to follow on your footsteps. Thanks for the encouraging words. Tanks very much.
Wish I’d had it done two years ago! I’m looking forward to getting all this over and done with. It will happen. I’m glad everything is going well for you.
I had it last October. A walk in the park truly, so don’t be anxious. I’m 81. I will write in a bit more detail later, just a bit rushed at this minute, but have answered quickly because I didn’t like to think of you fretting. Tricia
Apologies, I have had an awful day but will try to get back tomorrow. Actually one of my appointments today was at the pacemaker clinic, which is one of the areas I will elaborate on, nothing to worry about though. Tricia
I had a dual lead pm last September and coincidentally my husband had a triple lead. The procedure was nothing. My surgeon and nurses chatted all the way through snd I didn’t feel a thing. It took about 15 minutes. We couldn’t stretch up for a few days or lift anything heavy, but after that wouldn’t know we had them
I have permanent afib and tachycardia and awaiting my decision as to whether to have the left side radio frequency ablation which is a short stay in hospital, but can’t make up my mind as I’m 80 snd my hubby has mild dementia snd our family live a long way away
No doubt though we both feel better after the PMs and truly there was nothing to the procedure my pm was set at 60 which is the manufacturers normal setting snd my husbands set at 70
Thanks all who’ve responded. Your responses are so positive! I really want off this merry-go-round of drugs/CV/ablation.
But I don’t understand how this works. The pacemaker generator and wires can be implanted at the same time as the AV node ablation, I believe. Or in two different procedures? Either is fine? That’s what I’ve gathered. My EP specialist presented it as a given that we’d do both at once. I see I have more questions to get answered.
A dual lead took 15 minutes? I don’t get that. And you still have AF and AT that might need a RF ablation? Even with a pacemaker? I thought the reason for a pm was to put an end to ablations and keep me in NSR even while my atria misfire away to their heart’s content. I’m confused.
But what encourages me most is that so many both here and in other places I’ve looked say that a pm made them feel better. That’s all I want—to feel better. Not 35 again, but no longer weighed down by drugs (awful!) and bouts of bradycardia and tachycardia in between good old-fashioned AF’s irregular irregularities. I have graduated from paroxysmal to persistent.
I see a pacemaker as my last hope and best chance for a relatively normal and pleasant last decade of my life. As it is now, the CV unit at the cardiac center has a revolving door that I keep going in and out of, over and over. I’ve even made friends with the CV scheduler and a couple of the nurses in the CV unit because we’ve interacted so often! I can’t keep doing this, and drugs make me feel worse than the arrhythmias. I don’t see any other way forward than a pacemaker. Is there one?
Maybe if I were younger (am going on 83 with no other significant health issues) I’d hold off and try further lifestyle tweaking and alternative healing modalities for awhile longer, but it seems best to me to continue with all that AND get a pacemaker.
Hi again, pleased that my reply has given you more confidence. However, I must say that it was the AV node ablation that has made the biggest difference to me. I was very symptomatic with AF even after a pacemaker was fitted and intolerant of drugs. I only take Apixaban now. I honestly feel that if the AV node ablation were to shorten my elderly life and there’s no reason to suppose it will, I would still have it done in order to enjoy what life I have left.
You will be fine. A pacemaker as you probably know is to stop your heart rate from going too low snd if it does then the PM kicks in snd brings your heart rate back up to whatever it’s set at. Usual setting is 60
There are some pacemakers which slso stop the heart from racing, but these are the rolls Royce and always 3 leads snd have something which stops it from going too high
Now my 2 lead was amazing when it was inserted and I thought that’s it I feel great, but the dreaded covid caught me for a second time snd as I had only had the vac booster 4 days before I had a double dose snd that started the afib snd more problems. However, touch wood, I still feel better than I did before. I also have a lot of stress with my lovely husband snd his mild dementia which doesn’t help.
I can honestly say that I wish I had gone for the pace snd ablate at the same time although my EP would have had 6 months inbetween. I had a right Aflutter ablation before snd this did help the tachycardia. The pacemaker was because I kept going lightheaded and faint with the low heart rate
I am 80 and would definitely have the pacemaker all over again snd yes from the time I was on the bed in the procedure room snd then it started it was just about 15 minutes and didn’t feel a thing
Sorry this sounds very rambled but I hope you get the gist of it
I’ll add that I experienced a husband in mild then worsening dementia, then a stroke at 90 that felled him. I know what it’s like to have a husband in dementia. That was mostly in 2020, the worst year of my life. Covid abounded, but didn’t get me (as it did you unfortunately). In its place I had two broken arms one after the other. The first one was iatrogenic: it was caused by diltiazem. I blacked out and evidently broke my arm while trying to catch myself.
At any rate, all I’m trying to say is that I’m a fellow traveler and empathize with your journey. Stress and afib are not a good combination, but we manage our way through. Good on us!
I had the p/m implanted in July 2023 and the AV node ablation in November. The procedures where fine but took me about three months to get the heart rate correct to feel right. Still permanently A/f but not symptomatic. The best of all was that stopped the medications which their side effects where unbearable, only keep the anticoagulant medication. So, to me it was a positive last resort decision, however, I do have other health issues, as well as I’m now 86, none the less, not regrets. Keeping in mind that we are all different, and all the best to you.
I replied, but I don’t see it here. So I’ll try again.
The best part for me, looking ahead, is getting off drugs. “Unbearable” is the right word. I guess I envy those on this forum who take drugs for years and years as their solution. I can’t do that.
I have a Watchman, so I’ve been told the only drug I’ll be taking is a baby aspirin. Whew! Just that is motivation enough for wanting a pacemaker.
Echo wholly the sentiments left thus far! I had full on AV Node ablation 5 yrs ago and it has ‘allowed me’ to do things that I had been struggling with since original diagnosis ten or so years earlier. It was and continues to be a sort of ‘lifeline’ thrown to me. The procedure was fuss free and only had to deal with avoiding heavy weight chores for couple of mths and everything settled down with rate of 65 set. Best decision I made😎
hi there it’s just about a year and a half now for me. I have a very unique pacemaker. My doctor used a dual and yes, I have the AV node ablation. Also, if you don’t get that along with it, you would regret it.
I have a doctor that thinks out of the box and created this for me. It was one of the kind. I don’t know if he has done it again since. I have three leaves one is not attached right now. I have a Phone app with 24 hour transmissions to the device clinic. I just saw the print out with the breakdown of anything. My heart did during that year. They can take a transmission right now for me if they want it. Dr did HIS pace bundling a relatively new procedure. My doctor would not do another ablation. as I had three and the third one was a mess he does not believe in giving them over and over because of the scar tissue that it leaves. That ablation did not even work at all long story, but thank God I found this doctor.
So as far as pain. to be honest, the worst part was the headache I had for about four days that nothing seemed to fix. It is quite common to have a headache. I don’t know if it’s the anesthesia or? But I know I am not the only one that had it. they had my arm in a sling and they had it pinned so I would keep that arm still. LOL I am Italian so I talk with my hands all the time. It was a little sore at the incision site, but nothing major. The worst part for me was not using my left arm even though I am a righty I guess I use my left more than I thought. again, we are all different but I would not say I had a lot of pain. It’s the strange feeling of having the PM in your body. You also have to stay off that side sleeping. I was bad. I put pillows even in the hospital, but I always sleep on my left side or stomach, I made my doctor crazy when he saw me. They should give you a list of instructions of what you can and cannot do
as far as clothing you can wear anything you want if you can get into it without raising your arm I would suggest something button down the front or zip for going home from the hospital just because it’s easier, but I actually had a pull over top and with the help of the nurse. It was no problem getting dressed
i’m not sure what you’re talking about adjusting your settings you shouldn’t be adjusting anything. First of all usually you get the pacemaker implanted and then must wait. About two weeks before the AV node. This means you’re not hooked up yet. The major thing about moving your arms is because the leads need to settle and in the beginning, they could pull out easily if you do the wrong things, including lifting stretching, etc. doctors have their own set of rules. You need to listen to him. The settings are done in the OR. Also, my doctor could change as well as my tech. They have a handheld device. My resting heart rate in the beginning was 70 which means that’s about where it should be when I am waking up in the morning, not out of bed yet. within a couple of weeks it was set to 60. I tend to be about 62 when I wake. These are all things you need to make sure you talk to your doctor about. Also remember anything you do active is going to raise your heart rate once you are all attached . That’s a good thing. That’s how a normal heart works. If you are someone that walks and runs for sport you are going to have your heart rate go up because you should even puttering around the house makes a difference. Be careful you can get lightheaded and you don’t want to , get it too high because you will feel lousy. It made me nauseous if I did too much. Doing too much in the beginning doesn’t take much so just be prepared for that. If you lay down, you will find a trip go back down
My only problem about my pacemaker is I wish I could’ve had it done sooner. My a fib came with tachycardia pretty much from day one before it was even diagnosed and my heart rate was usually up around 180 although I have gone higher and even hit 300 in the OR. Not a good thing.
I can tell you it was exciting how much better I felt even when I was leaving the hospital. I had been unable to walk when I stood up. I had crushing chest pain that made me cry, and I could not breathe. To get to the bathroom, it was more of a scuffle holding the wall, and that short distance often made me feel I was going to black out again. The day I went home from the hospital I was able to walk to the car. Well, I could walk from the wheelchair because they make you use one. The fact that I could walk was so exciting. My circulation was so bad that when I touched my cold foot to an upper part of my leg it was like being touched by ice cubes. It was almost painful. They say pain has no memory and it’s true. I remember how I felt , but it is distant to me now because I have been feeling so good
please don’t be afraid and reach out if you want to. I’ll be your cheerleader. not once have I had a regret of having this done and in the beginning, I was no no no. I made a list of questions for the doctor. Before I could ask, he gave me the answers. That’s when I knew he was the doctor for me and this was the right thing. You are going to feel paranoid with it at first. you can barely see my scar and it’s not raised up like I have seen on some people. Just make sure you keep things like your phone 6 inches away.
if there’s anything I can help with let me know and I am going to say my boring thing now that I just started doing for myself a few months ago. Stay out of your head or you will make yourself crazy about it. If you have anything to monitor it, don’t do it unless your doctor wants you to because you become obsessed and you will forget that your numbers are constantly changing. then you will wonder why etc. don’t use any device unless you need to for the doctor. I would be curious as to whether or not you get something like I have with the phone app. I have a technician assigned to me who has been with me since I woke up in the hospital after the ablation and being hooked up what I have is so unique and new that she had to learn about itby calling her Company. I had a little situation back in July. My doctor brought me right in same day and we had a conversation with the engineer at the company Medtronic as well as the tech who was with me and my doctor.
my doctor actually presented my case in Dallas at something he attended. The hospital requested that he come back and teach the EP doctors there so they can save more lives like they did me. you see, there was no device to be used on me. My doctor created it while he was working on me.
I had a dual lead pacemaker fitted in 2014 , following a pace and ablate procedure and have never looked back. I am now approaching 76 years old, on a beta blocker and amiodarone which I am hoping to stop after consulting next with my EP. My pacemaker is due for replacement shortly (not bad for 10 years of Permanent AF) when I expect additional leads to be employed for "left bundle branch block" pacing of left ventricle in addition to those already in place in right atria and ventricles. My QOL improved dramatically with the original pacemaker, and I fully expect a similar improvement with the new tech.
Try not to worry too much over the procedure. They have successfully implanted 000's over the years .
Very reassuring! Thanks for sharing your experience. It makes me want to get the pacemaker tomorrow—but I have to wait until mid-October. Actually, I’m lucky to get n that soon.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
76 years old with A F
apixaban and hematuria 
shortness of breath
3% Afib burden and proposed medication
breathlessness 
