Good morning,

I am new to this group. I just met with my second cardiologist and have to make a decision to either have an ablation or pacemaker. I am scheduled for a pacemaker in August.

I had a blood clot in december following surgery and then had a pulmonary embolism. This was followed by atrial fibrillation. I have tried several medications ( Maltaq and Tikosyn) niether are working. I am taking 250mg of Tikosyn twice daily and am still having 2-3 episodes of A-fib per week. My resting heart rate is in the 40's.

One Cardiologist is suggesting a pacemaker because my heart rate is slow and he feels that I am heading to sick sinus syndrome. He says that I could take a different medication with the pacemaker which would help with the A-fib.

The other Cardiloogist is recomending an ablation to treat the A-fib. he says that I may need a pacemaker at some point down the road.

Both cardiologists say that either option can be sucessful and that I have to make a choice.

I am 54 and feel that I am young to have a pacemaker. I have read many posts and now feel differently.

Is there anyone out there that has had a similiar experience that can help me with my options?

 

 

Hello Chasman..

Welcome to the Pacemaker Club.

I can give you an uneducated opinion based on my experience with a pacemaker, periodic episodes of A-fib, and low heart rate caused by SSS, or in my case it was called sinus node dysfunction which gives about the same symptoms as SSS.

My opinion is get the pacemaker, try the meds and hope the combination works and if it doesn't then go for the ablation. From what I have read here and other places none of the three options you have are sure fire cures, but I know of no other options for you.

I going to guess you prefer the ablation because that sounds like a one time surgery which a person has and is cured. You may be reluctant to get a pacemaker because you are like many which do not like the idea of having an electronic device implanted in their body which requires attention from time to time and may be an impediment to some of their daily routine.

Well, I have not had an ablation, but I'm on my second pacemaker. I got my first one in 2000 at age 71. In my case (this does not happen to everyone) it took a number of trips to get the optimum PM settings for me. Once that was accomplished the pacemaker gets no special consideration and it does not interfere with anything I want to do.

You see contrary to what many people think (including yours truly at first) a pacemaker does not take over the job of making your heart beat. It is nothing but a back up for your hearts natural pacemaker. When that natural pacemaker fails to send the impulse to make the heart beat the manmade PM steps in and sends the necessary impulse.

You say your resting heart rate is 40. I will bet that the low setting on a pacemaker will be somewhere above that (probably in the 50 to 70 range) which means that manmade PM will supply the impulses to keep your heart rate at least as high as the low set point when you are at rest. However when you start some activity that causes your heart's natural PM to increase your heart rate above that low set point the manmade PM just monitors your heart function and steps in to help only as needed.

There is much more to be said on this subject as you will see from others here but with that opinion I'll stop.

Good luck with your decision and I wish you the best.

Smitty

 

I have gotten so much good advice from this club in the year that I have had my pm so I am sure you will too.
I have sss and it has been a long road for me to get to this point. I know what you are going through. I am 37 and did not want a pacemaker so I tried an ablation first but then needed the pacemaker anyway. If I could do it again I would not have done the ablation. It only made matters worse for me. I know it helps some people greatly but for me it didn't. I now have a pacemaker and I am taking Sotalol which has helped me quite a bit. I do not regret the pm at all and do not feel like it keeps me from doing anything. Good luck with your decision!

 

Welcome to your new PM Club and meeting all your newest, bestest Friends when you need them. We love to have new members 'post/comment' & help us out.

I had Afib and the cardio. Dr. tried meds, paddle shocks several times and to no avail. He told me about a PM.

Ablation/PM implants do not correct Afib. I had Afib, had the ablation, 2 lead wires with my PM on 10/09. My pre-PM Afib was to the extent I could feel it 'big time'. I thought it was gone after my implant, as I never feel it anymore. My PM techie said I definitely do have Afib. Heck, I even forget I have my PM, like a right arm.

I had a blood clot before I knew of a PM. I will be on Coumadin/Warfarin (rat poison) the rest of my life. Hey, if that what keeps me from having a stroke and/or blood clot ~ that is ok with me.

My only regret is not gettin a second opinion as several PM members suggested. My cardio Dr. always asked me if I was SOB, dizzy, light headed, etc. before my PM implant. No, I was not. Now, after the PM implant, I am becoming more SOB, lite headed once in a long time and now I 'sleep'. I have never been able to sleep during the day, but now, if I sit down in a comfy chair for a few minutes, I think my eyes are open watching TV, and when I realize, I must have 'dozed' off? The TV will be on another time period when I 'wake up'. This also happened in 9/09 when I drove a four hour trip. I was wide awake, well rested, had eaten, and I found myself across a yellow line on the highway and again, on the same trip, headed toward a ditch. Again, I thought my eyes were wide open ~ guess not. I do not know.

 

Please explain to me what a "sick sinus syndrome" is. I was implanted with a pacemaker Aug 16, 2010.