Congestive Heart Failure

I am a 78 year old male Caucasian with congestive heart failure (dx Oct 2001).  Other health conditions I have include:

[CCF-M.D.-RCJ]

Cibe,

Thanks for the informed question.

Pulmonary vein isolation procedures are particularly useful in patients with "lone afib".  Lone afib describes afib in someone without significant other cardiac medical history.  Your afib could not be called "lone afib" due to your other medical history.  I think that a pulmonary vein isolation procedure would likely not be beneficial for you because the source of your afib is not likely to be found in the pulmonary veins.

Judging from what you have provided, your afib is likely a degenerated rhythm from an aflutter focus.  It is possible that you could be helped by an ablation procedure for the aflutter, if indeed you had this in the past and its sight of origin could be identified during electrophysiology testing.  However, I am also doubtful of this strategy.

In looking at your medicine regimen I am struck that you are not on an ace-inhibitor.  These medicines are standard of care for patients with CHF.  Also, the numnber of cardioversions performed is not high -- many cardiologists would attempt repeat cardioversion if indeed your CHF is made worse by the afib.  Also, why do you have CHF?  Afib is usually not the cause of CHF, although it can be in patients with severe tachycardia from the afib.  Maybe correction or treatment of another condition would improve your symptoms as opposed to treating the afib.

Hope that helps.