Chronic AFib and Cardioversion

[Narda99]

I have chronic AFib.  I am due for a cardioversion in two weeks.  How successful is a cardioversion?  I have heard that the longer one is in AFib, the harder it is to convert.  I have been in mine for six weeks.

[Jerry_NJ]

I'm not sure I left the intended message, when giving you my "story (ies)".

I highly recommend trying electrocardioversion, I was very happy for the periods of sinus rhythm it gave me, and I believe it will work for your and it may last for several years.  

You may even be able to go drug free... I had to continue to take a anti-arrhythmia drug, Propafenone.  Some convert on  just the drug, I didn't.

By the way, in my experience having AFib for a few weeks isn't normally called "chronic", that is, you still have a chance of converting on your own, I believe.  So, again, an electrocardioversion should work well and it is a very low risk procedure.  

[Narda99]

Thanks, Jerry, for your reply.  I am worried about having it done, but don't feel that I want to live this way if there is a possibility it will work.  I hope you are feeling well now.

[Jerry_NJ]

I assume you are talking about an electrocardioversion, the one that is done on a "out patient" basis at a hospital.  

I have had four of them over the past 6 years.  Now before you conclude they don't work, let me say two were considered successful in that they lasted, I remained in sinus, for over 18 months, one two years. One of the reasons I didn't remain in sinus was that I also had a leaky mitral valve that was causing my left atrial to enlarge.  The last one I had, following mitral valve repair, lasted only two weeks.  So, they no longer work for me.

When the cardioversions worked for reasonable periods of time I had in each case been in AFib for several months.  In the case of the last attempt I had been in AFib for 10 months.

Six weeks is a short period to be in AFib, I believe.

Good luck.