Guest guest Posted November 2, 2003 Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 Marie, " Ablate and Pace " , as it is called, is >in general< becoming very much a less favoured technique compared to, say, pulmonary vein ablation. It is a one-way street. Once they take your AV node away, that's it, you are totally reliant on the pacemaker. It should not be done if you are of an age where you would have to have, say, more than a single replacement (roughly every 7 years) - as each replacement is not quite as good as the last. I don't know what specifics your case might have that might lead to the suggestion of A+P, but I agree with the others - get a 2nd opinion from someone who is fully up to date. Pulmonary vein ablation/isolation is the present state-of-the-art treatment where drugs don't work, but unfortunately there are plenty of doctors, cardios and even EPs who still think it is " experimental " . Best of health to all, Vicky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 23, 2003 Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 My cardiologist has basically said from the first my best option is AV Node ablation (I think that is what they call it, burn the signals that tell your heart to beat) and put in a pacemaker. Dear Marie, Ablation of the AV Node and insertion of a pacemaker used to be a common method of treating A-Fib. Now it is generally considered a measure of last resort, after you've tried everything else. Ablation of your AV Node does not stop your A-Fib. It only stops your heart (the ventricles) from beating too fast. You still have to take blood thinners, you're still at risk of stroke, your heart deteriorates, you need a pacemaker for the rest of your life. You have a lot more options you can explore, such as a Pulmonary Vein Ablation, before going to an AV Node Ablation. Here is a list of some of the current treatments to cure A-Fib: http://www.a-fib.com/Cures.htm If your cardiologist is recommending an AV Node Ablation and pacemaker, it might be wise for you to get a second opinion. Tambocor is good. Betapace isn't very effective. Some members of our group have had good luck with dofetilide (brand name Tikosyn). Good luck. We're praying for you. A-FibFriendSteve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 23, 2003 Report Share Posted December 23, 2003 Marie-Steve- Doctors trained at University of Michigan seem to push this solution. (invented there) Its main advantage is that it requires many fewer visits to the EP. Steve has detailed the negatives. I've also read about patients with difficulty getting the pacemaker to operate correctly. Good luck. Bob P Re: Comments please... My cardiologist has basically said from the first my best option is AV Node ablation (I think that is what they call it, burn the signals that tell your heart to beat) and put in a pacemaker. Dear Marie, Ablation of the AV Node and insertion of a pacemaker used to be a common method of treating A-Fib. Now it is generally considered a measure of last resort, after you've tried everything else. Ablation of your AV Node does not stop your A-Fib. It only stops your heart (the ventricles) from beating too fast. You still have to take blood thinners, you're still at risk of stroke, your heart deteriorates, you need a pacemaker for the rest of your life. You have a lot more options you can explore, such as a Pulmonary Vein Ablation, before going to an AV Node Ablation. Here is a list of some of the current treatments to cure A-Fib: http://www.a-fib.com/Cures.htm If your cardiologist is recommending an AV Node Ablation and pacemaker, it might be wise for you to get a second opinion. Tambocor is good. Betapace isn't very effective. Some members of our group have had good luck with dofetilide (brand name Tikosyn). Good luck. We're praying for you. A-FibFriendSteve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 24, 2003 Report Share Posted December 24, 2003 This is an old method of help for patients. Prof H suggested this is a palliative treatment. I would suggest changing Dr. john C Uk ---- Original message ---- >Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 17:17:10 -0800 > >Subject: Re: Comments please... >To: <AFIBsupport > > >My >cardiologist has basically said from the first my best option is AV >Node ablation (I think that is what they call it, burn the signals >that tell your heart to beat) and put in a pacemaker. >Dear Marie, > Ablation of the AV Node and insertion of a pacemaker used to be a common method of treating A-Fib. Now it is generally considered a measure of last resort, after you've tried everything else. Ablation of your AV Node does not stop your A-Fib. It only stops your heart (the ventricles) from beating too fast. You still have to take blood thinners, you're still at risk of stroke, your heart deteriorates, you need a pacemaker for the rest of your life. You have a lot more options you can explore, such as a Pulmonary Vein Ablation, before going to an AV Node Ablation. Here is a list of some of the current treatments to cure A-Fib: http://www.a- fib.com/Cures.htm > If your cardiologist is recommending an AV Node Ablation and pacemaker, it might be wise for you to get a second opinion. > Tambocor is good. Betapace isn't very effective. Some members of our group have had good luck with dofetilide (brand name Tikosyn). > Good luck. We're praying for you. >A-FibFriendSteve > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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