How often will you pace if your sa node is destroyed?

Hi, I'm new here and I'm told that there is a high possibility that I am getting a pace maker and soon at that. I have svts. I was first diagnosed 4 years ago and had a catheter ablation but they left a couple of pathways as they were too close to my sa node. They've come back and the symptoms are worse (always hot, can't breath, pounding hr, fast hr, extremely tired). I'm on beta blockers now and they're helping a bit in the sense that the symptoms are manageable when I'm not moving. So  I have a couple questions. Has anyone experienced anything like this? How does a pacemaker work when one doesn't have an sa node? 

1 Comments

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2017-04-30 08:40:01

We have several members who pace 100% after SA node ablation. More often than not it's hard to get all of it, or they ablate it and it comes back, so there there is some natural sinus activity. SA isn't one spot, it's more like a web. 

A feature called rate response would be used to mimic what the heart should be doing on its own. It is set at a base rate then determines when you are active and raises your rate for you. There are several types of RR out there and they each work differently and are better suited for different lifestyles. Discuss it with your doctor. If you want to read up on it, there is a search feature at the upper right. It literally comes up at least once a week. 

Don't be afraid of how much you pace. Many of us pace every beat, it sounds a lot scarier than it is. For most of us, it gives us our lives back. We have a member Inga (golden_snitch) who has had more ablations and complication than I can count, paces every beat both atrial and venticle, and now runs marathons. 

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I am 100% pacemaker dependant and have been all my life. I try not to think about how a little metal box keeps me alive - it would drive me crazy. So I lead a very active life.