Has anyone had cardio version - Atrial Fibrillati...
Has anyone had cardio version
duckpopper,
Which type are you speaking of?
There are 2 different types of cardioversions:
Synchronized electrical cardioversion which uses electricity to shock the heart back into rhythm
AND
Pharmacologic cardioversion which uses drugs to put the heart back into rhythm.
I have had the Pharmacologic cardioversion a few times. And have been told that if it didn't work they would use the electrical cardioversion. I have told them NO a few time when they talked about doing it. I have worked on electronics for many years and spent a lot of time avoiding getting shocked. I don't want to do it on purpose.
Tim
I was given drugs in hospital which did not work and now I'm taking dagabatran to thin blood , digoxin and bisoprol , and am awaiting electrical shock in acouple of weeks ,and am really worried about it
Hi Duckpopper
I had a Cardioversion (CV) in March, and like you was on warfarin, bisoprolol and digoxin in the pocket to us.
It was a very anticlimatic operation to be fair, in Harefield you go in first thing in the morning and they check your INR to make sure you are in range, and then you sit around the ward that thing in your arm and wired up for ECG waiting for the operations to finish or between them.
They take you down to theatre and then in the entrance to the theatre (not inside) they put a pad on your chest and on your back and then they give you either gas (me) or an injection and you go out like a light, and then they do the cardioversion.
Honestly nothing to it, mine did not work, so I am still in A Fib, it takes about 15 mins I am told. I was a little sore afterwards but they did try 4 times, with increasing voltage, and the soreness went away with the excellent cream they give you.
Honestly sounds scary but nothing to be worried about at all, I think as minor ops on the heart go it must be one of the safest
You'll be fine, come back and tell us how easy it was 
Ian
After a course of Regivas (Dronedarone) which didn't work, I had a cardio version, it lasted about 3 weeks. I think it was because of my stressful lifestyle and travelling all over the world, that I went back into AF. As I have no symptoms (I only found out when I had a Men's health check up) I keep it under control, using blood thinners, drugs for hypertension, cholesterol and beta blockers
My first episode of paroxysmal AF 2 years ago I was cardioverted as I knew exactly when th AF had started and there is a 24-48 hour window when you can be cardioverted without anti coagulation. I was in fast AF and felt ok apart from the thump thump. It was done by one of the sisters from coronary care ( under anaesthetic of course!) and the only down side was trying to get the adhesive off after the event. The pads are quite big and the skin can go a bit pink for a day or two. I was home the same day and felt fine.
I have had three over the years and each one "worked" in as much as I was back in synus rhythm afterwards. (I also had to simulate one for a film I was in once which was fun.) I won't tell you how they made me jump.LOL). As Tim says elsewhere this procedure is not a cure for AF just puts you back in NSR.. Because they use a direct current it points all the electrical cells in the same direction and hopefully corrects the anomalies.. There can be a third method where they introduce wires into you heart from veins in your groin and shock you internally but this is unusual other than during RF ablation. There is a risk of skin burning where the pad are attached if they have to use a high current but normally this is no worse than mild sunburn although I do know a lady who had a serious burn on her back which nobody really understood at the hospital.
As Tim also mentioned elsewhere getting shocked is something to be avoided normally. I work on race car engines and 20,000 volts up your arm kind of makes you jump if you touch a hot plug lead.
Bob
There is nothing to worry about DC cardioversions these days although they do sound rather nasty ! I have had a total of 10 over the 20 years since I have been diagnosed & in the 1st 15 years they lasted from 1-3 years before Af recurred . Latterly I am not having such long remissions but am a difficult case , apparently , & in fact have my 3rd ablation planned for Monday - 3 days time. It is all over so quickly & the nurses & docs so reassuring
so try not to worry too much ! I know this is easier said than done because I used to be terrified in the early days but not so anymore . Because I was hospitalised with AF & couldn't get out of ahigh heart rate my DCCV's were all ( bar 1 ) done as emergencies so I didn't have alot of time to contemplate !
All the best
Sandra
I also agree there is nothing to worry about, I had one a couple of years ago after being in AF in the A&E for over 18 hours, the amioderone drip didn't work so because it was within the 24 hours the cardiologist decided to do the CV rather than wait. I was very nervous about it but needn't have been, it was over so quickly and I felt great afterwards (probably because I was finally allowed to eat!). A bit of a burn where they put the pads, as someone said above a bit like sunburn really.
With my last AF episode (last August) I would have taken myself to the hospital and requested a DCCV if it hadn't reverted by itself while I was getting ready to go!
Cheers, Gaye
Don't worry it all sounds worse than it actually is. Mine was done three years ago after being in persistent AF for over a year. I was on Fecainide for a year before and am still on it. There have been a couple of attacks since but I've been able to contain them at home ( they take two days out of your life though). Since really being serious about breathing deeply the attacks have not come back but I do know that getting excited aggravates the situation. Hope this helps, T
I had 2 electrical cardioversions during my months of continuous afib. Both times my heart went into sinus rhythm but only for about 48 hours. I had a burn the first time with a cardiologist. The second time was with my electrophysiologist who promised me there would be no burn at all and there was not. That one seemed quite an easy procedure. Now after two ablations I am staying in sinus rhythm so far. Except for that first burn, the CVs were not bad at all.
I can't remember how many of both sorts I have had but I do know that the chemical one never worked for me, or only for a few seconds. As every one else has said they are really nothing to worry about, over before you know it.
I'm new to the forum & as others have said it's OK I have had 3 electrodes placed on the skin and an internal one carried out after I had ablation for Wolfe Parkinson White.The Heart center gave me some cream,which helped
I have had to date 9 electrical cardioversions 2 ablations awaiting another. To help the doctors I am allergic to iodine/trace
When I was told that I was to have a cardioversion, I was really terrified and worried for weeks before hand about it, I have had it done twice, they put you to sleep by injection and you wake up and it is done. My heart stayed in sinus rhythm for about 8-9 months. I have also had the amiodoron drip that worked and returned my heart to sinus after 2 days, I have also taken Amiodoron orally in quite high doses, that took three days. The thought is 100 times worse than it actually was.
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