AV node ablation

Once again I am turning to my friends on this website for some help. I'm facing an AV node ablation after years of various arrhythmia medications and 5 ablations for afib and flutter. Amiodarone was the only medicine that worked for an extended period of time, but now I'm breaking through that.

My questions to you are: was it successful - I've heard it can the AV node can grow back? how does it impact the battery life of your pacemaker (just got mine less than a year ago)? did you have to continue on anti-arrhythmia meds?

I was hoping I could put this decision off for a while, but now that the amiodarone isn't working I guess this is my best option. My quality of life has definitely been impacted. It's been a rough year, but the pacemaker did make a huge improvement. I just wish my heart would allow the pacemaker to do its thing!

Thanks,
Cindy

5 Comments

AV node ablation

by aldeer - 2008-11-30 02:11:13

I had my pacemaker put in at the same time as my AV Node ablation. Aug. 07. At first (Oct. 07) my battery life was predicted to be five years. In Oct(08). it was given seven years. I had been on Rythmol and in June 08 changed to Coreg CR. I am 3rd degree heart block and in afib & aflutter all the time, but don't feel it usually. I do feel so much better with the Coreg CR. Before all this, I was much like you...on many different meds and a failed ablation. I so hope that you will feel much better. Good luck, Cindy. Go in with a smile, and come out with a smile!.... love & prayers aldeer

AV Node Ablation

by janetinak - 2008-11-30 03:11:21

Hi Cindy,

I looked up a response I & several others gave to a question about ablations on 11/24 on this site. You might want to look that one up & check the forums site on the left too.

I have had two AV node ablations a few months apart in Oct 2000 & Jan 2001 & so far all OK. 1st PM only lasted 3 yrs (I am 100% paced after ablation) & that seems it was a lead problem. But I have had the 2nd PM since 2003 & still have 2 yrs on the battery so think it doesn''t make a whole lot of difference altho some folks go a lot longer.

My EP told me that it might have to be re-done in future but so far so good.

Hope this helps,

Janet

thanks

by clemsongirl - 2008-12-01 01:12:00

Thanks Janet & aldeer! I searched the old postings for "av node", but the post from 11/24 didn't show up - weird.

hey there

by Angelie - 2008-12-01 09:12:31

Your post on AV node ablations caught my attention, because that's a term used frequently with my EP. I just got my pacer almost 4 months ago, as an "experiment" for a lack of a better term. I've battled for 8 years with an array of arrhythmias- mostly SVT, and atrial tach. I've had 3 failed ablations- one ending in r) diaphragm paralysis. I've tried every med known to man. I checked myself in for Tikosyn treatment in August, and walked out with a pacemaker. It worked for a day.......that's been my luck. We thought we'd try the pacemaker first along with a betablocker before the AV node ablation. This option didn't sound so bad.
Seems like we're at similar roads.....it's good to know that there's someone else out there going through the exact same thing as I am.
The post Janet was talking about from 11/24 is from me. Let me know if I can be of any help to you in locating it. It's a topic I thought was in my past, but with my recent flutter episodes since pacemaker implant, I really don't know what they're going to end up doing with me.
By the way, Clemsongirl, I live in South Ga. Hee, hee. I see a few clemson stickers on the cars around here.
Nice to meet you,
Angelie

Go for it!

by llobet - 2008-12-02 09:12:22

Hi from Spain,

As far as I know, is not normal that the AV grows again after an ablation.

I had an AV ablation 7 months ago (with a complete 3rd degree heart block) and I had to wait 3 months to get my pacemaker. I’m 100% paced after that, my sinus is working and the PM is following my natural rhythm. I had my PM checked last week and I have battery for the next 6-7 years. Anyways, at the end, the number of years that you can use a PM depends on the settings and “how you use” your PM. In my case, I have my upper limit at 170 and I do lots of sport (I’m running 1 hour twice a week and I’m going climbing every weekend).

I don’t like hospitals, but I prefer to get a new PM every 5 or 6 years (a little surgery) than cutting or reducing my quality of life.

Hope that’s helping you,

You know you're wired when...

Your license plate reads “Pacer4Life”.

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