well it's been confirmed!! 😳

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2018-03-17 11:04:53

I don't have any experience with the leadless one because I've had the lead kind for way too long to qualify. Talk to your doctors about your lifestyle and the kind you are going to get. The leadless kind is amazing new technology, but it's not for everyone because it's single chamber pacing,most of us have two leads. Pacing will prevent the pauses but generally doesn't do much for afib. There are some devices that pace  out of afib, however they are not leadless. 

I got my first one at 27, and yes' it's a blow. That was more than 20 years ago and once I healed and got back to my life, I eventually got to the point I barely give it a thought. It's just there, a tool that gives me a healthy, active life. I found the anticipation of the surgery way worse than the surgery itself. 

If you end up with the traditional leads, talk to them about placement. Some put it just under  the skin, just under the collarbone, but they can do it lower and deeper. They can also put it under the pectoral. That's where mine is and I love it, totallly out of the way. 

I've got the a-fib program

by Theknotguy - 2018-03-17 14:53:20

I've got the pacemaker with two a-fib programs.  But like Tracey said, it's a Medtronic with the leads and not the inside-your-heart type,

Actually I've got two programs running in addition to the pacemaker program.  So, most of the time it's just a pacemaker.  However the two programs watch all the time to see if I go into a-fib.  

The first  program is APP.  (Atrial Preference Pacing)  What it does when it sees me go into a-fib is to raise my heart rate.  Some people with a-fib can stop it by raising their heart rate.  I know a couple of men who will take a brisk walk when they feel the a-fib symptoms and that sometimes helps.  APP works about 10% of the time.  

The second program is called Minerva.  (Why Minerva I don't know.  Greek/Roman  mythology possibly?)  Anyway, when APP doesn't work and I'm still in a-fib Minerva will look for a repeating pattern.  Upon seeing the pattern it will change my pacing and pace me out of a-fib.  Minerva works about 80% of the time.  Sessions with Minerval last anywhere from less than a minute up to four hours.  Then Minerva stops.  

Between the two programs they knock out about 90% of my a-fib.  The other 10% of the time I'm on my own and have to deal with a-fib just like everyone else.  I have to take heart regulatory medication for a-fib in addition to having the programs.  

I can tell when the two programs kick in.  APP gives me a hot flash. (Raised heart rate) Minerva makes me feel like I have a stutter step.  I'm expecting a heartbeat at a specific time and Minerva will sometimes delay the beat.  So you get that heartbeat-shoulda-happened-but-didn't feeling.  Sometimes APP will kick in, then drop off and let Minerva take over.   When that happens I'm usually walking down the hall looking down at my pacemaker site saying, "Would you just make up your mind!!!"  

I'm not sure if I have more a-flutter than full blown a-fib.  That may be why the two programs have been so successful for me.  So even if you have an a-fib issue your EP may choose not to incorporate the features I have.  You'll have to discuss with him/her.  I also don't know if any other pacemaker manufacturers other than Medtronic have the a-fib programs.  That's another question to ask. 

Another thing that has happened is the advancement in ablation procedures.  Ablation procedures that were iffy four years ago now have a higher success rate.  And since ablation can be permanent for some people a lot of doctors choose to go that way.  Ablation was the first recommendation for my wife and it was a 100% cure for her.  Four years ago when I got my pacemaker an ablation procedure was considered for me to be pretty iffy and the doctor opted for the pacemaker programs. 

My EP has indicated I can get an ablation when I feel I need it.  However, the programs have been able to control my a-fib so well that I don't feel a pressing need for the procedure.  I questioned the Medtronic reps after the programs kicked in because I felt a dramatic decrease in the number of a-fib sessions.  They indicated the programs shouldn't decrease my a-fib sessions but, at the time, it was such new technology they couldn't give me any insights as to why things were so successful.  I don't know of anyone else who has the same programs I have so am unable to tell you how successful this has been for anyone else.  

Hope this gives you some insight.  
 

A-fib

by LORIAAA - 2018-03-17 18:14:47

Very interesting!  Thank you for your post!

Had one put in a month ago

by lmpres - 2018-03-17 19:33:08

Hi,

I had one put in a month ago for AFIB and my pauses after too.  I had pauses recorded of 10+ seconds when I converted from AFIB back to normal.  Had a medtronic implanted.  I had a resting heart rate of 43 so there was only 1 drug available to try to control it and very dangerous.  They tried that and it didn't work.  Now with the pacemaker working they raised my resting heart to 60 and it opened up a bunch of different safer drugs.  Hoping all goes well!  lol.

thankyou !!!

by krista1 - 2018-03-19 08:43:34

thankyouso much everyone for responding it means a lot.

there is so much involved i had no idea. i noticed one said about you can feel it kinda kick in? is this a real shock to the system or do you get used to it? 

i think i showed i had frequent pauses but paroxysmal afib? not that i have any clue what that means. 

i guess i will have to ask the question when it comes to it. 

so so much to take in, and i get stressed just thinking about it. 

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2018-03-19 10:42:32

The pacer sends an electrical signal but it's not big enough to be called a shock. ICD's will shock the heart out of a dangerous rhythm, not a pacer. All they do is pace and it's very rare to feel it kick in. The signal that it puts out is very small, mimicking what the heart should have done on its own, the heart responds by contracting so the heart is still doing the work. The exception is if you get one that speeds up to pace out of afib, I would imagine you'd feel your rate get higher (but not the actual pacing)