is Irregular Heart Beat permanent AF

[Alicant]

I have an irregular Heart Beat..always comes up on machines etc..also HF ..question is am I in permanent AF ? Medics don’t seem bothered About this apart from initially suggesting that the AF may have caused the HF ….or even other way round. I don’t notice the irregular heart beat / Afib? Cheers all enjoy sunny weekend..

[BobD Volunteer]

If your heart beat is always irregular and it is AF, provided that the rate is well controlled and you are anticoagulated there should be little problem. Excessively high rate can promote HF so rate control is vital.

Just to be pedantic. permanent AF is merely an agreement between patient and doctors not to attempt normal sinus rhythm and accept rate control .

[Alicant in reply to BobD]

Thankyou Bob ..clearer now

[mjames1]

Just so you know, sometimes treating atrial fibrillation can reverse heart failure. So even someone asymptomatic with a normal heart rate can do damage to their heart when continuously in atrial fibrillation. I don't have any idea about your medical history or lifestyle, but there are treatments for atrial fibrillation even when it's been ongoing like yours. One that comes to mind is a surgical ablation like the mini maze.

Jim

[N400033 in reply to mjames1]

Can someone tell me...what is the mini maze procedure and if it is performed in US?

[mjames1 in reply to N400033]

It's a surgical approach to ablation which can be more successful and durable in complex cases versus catheter ablation. The mini maze is considered minimally invasive surgery, but it is still more invasive than the catheter ablation. Similar is the Cox Maze IV.

These procedures are only performed at Select medical centers.

Dr. Randall Wolf of Houston performs what has been termed the Wolff mini maze. And the Cleveland clinic, number one heart hospital in the United States, offers both the mini maze and the Cox maze IV,

Having a consultation at both of these places is not a bad idea. The initial consultation can often be done via zoom video after you send them your records.

Jim

[N400033 in reply to mjames1]

Thank you for the info.

[Hidden in reply to mjames1]

Another great informative reply. You’re a star!

[beardy_chris]

Irregular heartbeat is not necessarily AF. There are a variety of possibilities. AF can be diagnosed by a doctor or cardiologist from an ECG by the absence of a P wave. However, AF is one of the more common causes of irregular, irregular heatbeat (i.e. no pattern at all!).

[Alicant in reply to beardy_chris]

Thankyou ..

[OzJames]

does your monitor say possible AF? If not it may be regular ectopic beats which lots of people experience. These beats are common even with people who have never been in AF

[Alicant in reply to OzJames]

No ..but whenever have pulse taken ..medics always say oh AF?

[OzJames in reply to Alicant]

Interesting as I went to emergency department at local hospital a few years back thinking I was in AFand person at Triage felt pulse and listened to heart and said yes AF. I went through and finally put on ECG to be reviewed and was advised later by cardiologist that it is regular ectopic beats I was getting. Panic over and within an hour all had calmed down. You see ectopics can be confused as AF by some and only when reading an ECG can you really know.

Having said that my old GP on another time when I was concerned felt my pulse and said he detected an arythmia and to go see my Cardiologist… that time it was AF