Fully-dependant on pacemaker?

[Hellokris]

Hello, my father (early 60s) is on an ICD.  His cardiologist wants to make the heart completely dependent upon the pacemaker, as the medicines my father is on aren't working.  Unfortunately, I was unable to sit in on the meeting between my father and the cardiologist.

My question to you is this - do you know the name of the procedure that would fully sever the nerves which incite the heart to beat?  I'm trying to research this procedure, and specifically, gain a clear understanding of the associated risks (along with mortality data), both immediate and long-term.  

I thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide.

[ksig]

I am 61.  I had a pacemaker implanted years ago and had an AVJ ablation 18 mo ago to which destroyed the AV node leaving me pacer dependent.  Because I already had the pacer, I did not have to have that implanted.  the same will probably be true for your father.  I have AFib and the boatload of meds I was taking could not hold it in check.  So I had the AVJ... I have not regretted once.

[itdood]

Nerves don't make the heart beat.  Cardiac muscle cells are the pacemakers.  There's a primary group in the atria called the sinoatrial (SA) node.   this fires the atria.  the discharge then travels to the atrioventricular (AV) node which fires the ventricles.  What they are probably talking about is either ablating (destroying) the SA node or AV node.  Both are different and require different types of pacing.