I had a dual chamber pacemaker implanted together with AV node ablation 2 years ago after many years of horrendous AF episodes and 5 failed ablations. I had an appointment at the BHI in Bristol in January and after climbing the several flights of stairs I had an episode of struggling to breathe and nearly passing out. The device clinic looked at the trace straight away and saw an erratic possibly ventricular arrhythmia.
I had an ECHO, and it shows my heart is out of sync and my EF has fallen to 40% from 55%. My cardiologist phoned a couple of days ago and advised an upgrade to a CRT -D. I feel so disappointed that the pacemaker seems to have caused yet more problems, worse than before.
I am worried about the whole procedure. They want to take the present leads out and stop my Warfarin two days before. My family is full of blood clot problems, and my brother had a severe and life changing stroke when his Warfarin was stopped.
I phoned the arrhythmia nurses and of course they say my cardiologist has advised the new device, but it is my choice. I said I did not feel informed enough to make a choice and there seems to be no support available to explain and discuss this situation. The nurse did say he would arrange to phone me back over the next couple of weeks which I appreciate.
If there is anyone who could offer me some advice from their own experience I would be very grateful.
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Melleray
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Hi Melleray, unfortunately i can't help with your question. I just wanted to let you know someone was thinking about you, good luck with everything regards Sheena
I had an upgrade from a dual chamber pacemaker to a CRTD and it increased my EF from 28 to 50. I had a life threatening VT event which prompted the upgrade caused by LBBB which in turn caused heart failure. I would recommend to take your cardiologists advice
Hi, I had a crtd fitted and couldn’t be better, no heart failure at all now and I had LBBB. EF of 30%. So your heart isn’t beating in sync so the blood isn’t being pumped out of the chambers, all a normal pacemaker does is get the heart to beat faster or slower, doesn’t do anything about the difference in chambers. Crtd gets them to beat in sync thus pushing blood out of the chambers at the same time. Go for it, you will be amazed at the change
Hi im new to this site and reading your post has given me confidence to have my crtd fitted in march at broadgreen. i have severe left ventricular dystrophy with rbbb, which resulted due to having congenital fallot tetralogy. still wary about having the surgery, but nice to hear some good positive feedback.
Thank you Bigbrin this is really useful information for me.
Had a really positive call from my consultant a couple of weeks ago, (first since my release from hospital), I was told things seem to be going well, and that he would arrange for a post med heart scan (I was expecting this from others posting), and dependent on that a pacemaker, (which I wasn't expecting).
I wasn't worried at all over this one bit, (I knew someone who had one 30 years ago and is still going strong), however I didn't know there were different types! So thank you, at the very least I can now ask him if it will be a Crtd one.
Sounds like you have been through a lot. Being anxious in these situations is completely normal. Your feelings are valid. In regards to stopping warfarin. You will or should be given injections of heparin to take home to replace the warfarin. Heparin injections are given as they are fast acting, but leave the body quickly. This help with surgery. Pacemakers are very important and you should listen to cardiologist. I am speaking from experience. I have thyroid cancer while on warfarin and had to remove it. Best of luck.😊
Thanks Hussein - it really helps to know that you understand. My brother had his stroke because his Warfarin was stopped after a DVT. He has a hole in his heart and the another clot passed through it. I too, have a hole in my heart, so feel the same might happen to me.
Also, my younger brother was the casualty of a hospital error and lay in a persistent vegetative state for 11 years. I used to visit him twice a week and it was heartbreaking to see it. So, you can see why these are added anxieties on top of the actual procedure I am having.
I hope you have recovered well from your thyroid surgery.
These are massive decisions we have to make and I too think we get very little time to digest and try to understand the options available. At the end of the day you have one heart one engine and it is very complex I hope you get some answers and good support I really feel for you I feel like I am at the beginning of a very long and difficult journey xx
Hello I am new to this site. But my daughter is going through chemo for breast cancer and has gained so much from just chatting to others like this. I felt that maybe my experience could help others going through heart problems.
As, I had a triple by pass 7 years ago and have felt really healthy and well since. But completely out of the blue 3 weeks ago I collapsed while walking my dog. A guardian angel must have been with me too, as a passer by had to do CPR on me and paramedics did ROSC. Outcome of this is normally sad. But a great hospital team kept me going I had a CRT-D device implanted and I am now home recovering and although a little nervous of going out alone yet, I am still here, alive and so happy that I have something to help me if that were to happen again. Technology is great. It was not there 60 years ago, when as a young child I lost my father to the same condition. Thank you NHS.
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