A Fib with Pacemaker

[ransell]

I’ve had A Fib since 9/11/02 3 years ago I had a pacemaker installed and was to receive ablation but suffered a heart attack and had to have 6 bypasses. As of the first of May this year, 3 years after the bypass I have gone into almost continuos AFib this has made me very weak and sick most of the time. The pacemaker does not seem to help. I am 75, was very active physically and now am an invalid. Is it possible to have the ablation to stop the AFib rogue heartbeat, given my history.


This discussion is related to Live Health Chat: Atrial Fibrillation, April 13th (Special Guest Dr. Bruce Lindsay, Cleveland Clinic).

[Jerry_NJ]

Strange story to my mind.... how was it that you were scheduled to have ablation and a pace maker installed and you doctor(s) didn't know you had heart artery blockage?

Sorry, just a statement of my confusion from your very brief post.  That said, I see no reason why you can't go ahead with the heart treatment that was planned prior to your heart attack and bypass surgery.

I do not know anything about AFib in the presence of a pacemaker, if that's what you've got, then it is possible.

[ransell]

Jerry_NJ
I live in Canada, Social Medicine, cost me nothing and I usually get what I pay for.
I was aware that there was some blockage but not to the extent that they actually found.
They beleive that it was the pacemaker that triggered the Heart Attack, got it on a Friday, Heart attack Monday.  After the bypass surgery they found that the pacemaker was shorting out.  Had it reinstalled 2 days later.  Since the surgery I get periods when I am exerting myself where I run completely out of energy, can't take the next step.  They have tried to find the problem with a half dozen different tests but it wasn't until the AFib running almost continuosly that I came to the conclusion that it was the cause of my weekness etc..  I will see my cardiologist in Septemeber but no chance before then.  I wonder if any one else has experienced this?  I wonder if ablation will fix it?

[Jerry_NJ]

Interesting and as you know our current congress and administration is pushing hard to take over medical coverage (which will surely result in rationing we don't have today, as well as denial of access for old folks like me).  I keep my fingers crossed that the Republicans and "blue dog" Democrats will stop it.   I'd guess I can get an appointment with my cardiologist within a few days if I thought I had a critical condition, not one requiring the emergency room, but critical in my mind.  I currently have governmental insurance (Medicare) for old people and my own private back-up insurance that limits my out of pocket but doesn't pay much if my cost are not high.  Medicare is two prong, rates are lower (which my someday make access a problem) and it pays 80%, we have to pay the rest out-of-pocket or via private insurance.  

Back to AFib, which I do suffer from, it is easy to diagnose if it is continuous, as my is, and it does limit one's physical strength.  It can be treated with the ablation procedure, but I think the success rate isn't great and is poor is there is any enlargement in the atrium, an size of 5.4cm diameter is almost beyond ablation treatment.  AFib ablation is one of the more risky ablations too because the left atrium must be reached from a catheter that enters the right side of the heart...as I understand it.  My symptoms are minor enough my doctor advises against me taking the risk.  

Did we talk about clot risks?  Be sure your doctor has you on coumadin/warfarin and if you are not start taking an aspirin if you can tolerate it.