Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Okay, my cardiologist called in an EP to read the results of my exercise stress test, and they told me in no uncertain terms that I needed a cardiac ablation.
The day I went in for the ablation, the EP described what he thought he needed to do--something about a signal bouncing back and forth from atria to ventricle or something. During the study, though, he suddenly came back into the room to wrap things up, saying something about not being able to do the ablation because it was in the left atrium. I left the hospital that day with a prescription for Flecainide and instructions to continue with the Metoprolol. The paperwork said that they were "able to induce 2 types of irregular rhythms coming from the left atrium (pacing induced atrial fibrillation) that are not easily ablated."
At a follow up appointment a couple of weeks later, he described pulmonary vein isolation to me, and scheduled me for a repeat holter monitor and follow up appointment with my regular cardiologist. At that follow up, my cardio told me that the results of the holter show that my meds have things under control, and that to ablate one issue could make the other one worse. He keeps calling it "SVT" and hasn't mentioned atrial fibrillation. Does this mean I have afib and something else? What?
My question is: Does afib being induced during an electrophysiology study mean that I actually have it? Would Flecainide be prescribed for SVT alone? I guess I don't know what to think, as I've never really had any symptoms, and this whole thing started only because I was having an unrelated surgery which they halted because of my heart! Three months ago, I was in wonderful health, other than needing a kidney stone removed. Now I feel like I am at death's door, and just too stupid to know it!
The day I went in for the ablation, the EP described what he thought he needed to do--something about a signal bouncing back and forth from atria to ventricle or something. During the study, though, he suddenly came back into the room to wrap things up, saying something about not being able to do the ablation because it was in the left atrium. I left the hospital that day with a prescription for Flecainide and instructions to continue with the Metoprolol. The paperwork said that they were "able to induce 2 types of irregular rhythms coming from the left atrium (pacing induced atrial fibrillation) that are not easily ablated."
At a follow up appointment a couple of weeks later, he described pulmonary vein isolation to me, and scheduled me for a repeat holter monitor and follow up appointment with my regular cardiologist. At that follow up, my cardio told me that the results of the holter show that my meds have things under control, and that to ablate one issue could make the other one worse. He keeps calling it "SVT" and hasn't mentioned atrial fibrillation. Does this mean I have afib and something else? What?
My question is: Does afib being induced during an electrophysiology study mean that I actually have it? Would Flecainide be prescribed for SVT alone? I guess I don't know what to think, as I've never really had any symptoms, and this whole thing started only because I was having an unrelated surgery which they halted because of my heart! Three months ago, I was in wonderful health, other than needing a kidney stone removed. Now I feel like I am at death's door, and just too stupid to know it!
I guess I don't understand why they were so adamant that I have cardiac ablation, until I was in the hospital for it and they wouldn't do it. It seems like they found more than what they thought I had...?
Does it matter if the SVT comes from the right or left atria? The whole "left side" thing seemed to make them change their minds or something.
All I can add is , that some EPs do ablations, but only in the right atrium. The very first EP I went to only ablated right sided arrythmias like flutter and SVT and I had to find another EP who performed my pulmonary vein ablation in the left atrium.
If you can't get the answers from your doctor go to the heart rhythm society site and find an EP in your area.
Wishing you all the best and be persistent till you get the answers to your questions.
If an arrythmia can be induced by pacing during an EP study, does that mean you have it? Or could you possibly go the rest of your lifetime without ever knowing you have it?
As far as the issue of a doctor not being accountable to answer questions (which I have asked) and involve the patient in their own care, I intend to look into getting another doctor IF I actually have something worth following up on. As of right now, I want to stop the meds and forget this whole thing ever happened.
If they can induce afib, you have it.
Afib is in the left atrium and aflutter originates in the right. Afib is harder to ablate.
Like someone else said, you need to find out what arrythmias you have.
Afib is a type of SVT. They don't usually call it that though.
No-one that doesn't have acute symptoms NEEDS to have an ablation.
petey
McHale
Looks like I'll have to do some homework to find out more about this condition, and follow up by finding a doctor who trusts me enough to involve me in my own treatment plan.
You may be moving in and out of a fib and a flutter. I think it would be more likely to call flutter a SVT instead of a fib.
The pulmonary vein isolation he described would be for a fib. So, I'm taking a guess here....yes, I think that you do have afib.
Did they start you on an anticoagulant (blood thinner)?
"Although right atrial ablation is less effective than left atrial ablation in treating AF, it is most successful when flutter is the predominant rhythm and is well documented and when AF is intermittent and paroxysmal."
So this is probably more than we need to know, other than I believe we just need to know the the ablation approach can be complicated.
I thinkmarikay is on to what is going on. They thought they were going to have a quick procedure, and apon discovering what was going on, decided to wait to perform a different/ longer procedure (include afib ablation).
Of course, we don't know and you need to ask. Asking about AFIB, SVT, and AFLUTTER will help your doctor realize he can explain it to you... that you know something about the subject.
One last thing... I read that when there are multiple things going on, afib can be transient. But I don't know. Most of the time, if afib can be induced by doctors, you are prone to it. If your afib only lasts a few seconds and it doesn't recur at all for the next 5 years, who is to say you HAVE afib. On these support sites we tend to think if you have it once, you've got it as afib tend to repeat and progress. Since it appears you probably have more than one arrythmia, they are treating you with drugs that prevent its recurrence.
Hopefully I didn't complicate things.
petey
petey
We have the most complicated disease......
With that said Natale is the best, I'm so happy I didnt wait.
A PVI stops triggers from the pulmonary sleeves from my sleep apnea. FIRM would not address this.
PVI ablation does sound risky, but at the same time, I'm not sure how I feel about being on medication for the rest of my life either. I lost over a hundred pounds a couple of years ago, and the best part was getting off my blood pressure and cholesterol meds--and here I am, back on a beta-blocker and anti-arrythmic! At the follow up, the cardio added a daily aspirin to the mix, saying "we'd all feel better that way". My biggest fear about all of this is being at increased risk for stroke...my mom had a stroke at fifty years of age, and I'm 50.
The funny part about all of this is that I was under the impression that this was the healthiest I've been in my entire life, but over this summer, I've had multiple surgeries for kidney problems, had to wear a nephrostomy bag for six weeks, and had holter monitors and stress tests and had to go to Boston for an EP study. I'm so sick of doctors, who are treating me like I'm sick when I have felt fine!