Posted by Roger Meyer on July 01, 2002 at 00:19:39:
In Reply to: Troublesome PVC's 10 months after the MAZE posted by Roger Meyer on June 20, 2002 at 22:45:17:
My Holter monitor results came in and it turned out that PVC's were NOT the problem for me. The problem was my heart rhythm was all over the place. The highest rate recorded on the 24 hour Holter monitor was 200bpm and the lowest was 8.5 seconds between beats. Needless to say, after the cardiologist got the Holter results, his staff were after me to locate me and have me check into the hospital pronto.
Once in the hospital, my cardiologist referred me to his colleague who is a rhythm expert. After evaluation, the treatment prescribed was a pacemaker for the low end of the beat range and medication (rhythmol) to reduce the high rate. The cardiologist wanted to rule out the possibility of ventricular tachycardia, which my hospital monitor was indicating, so in the EP lab the cardiologist there first tried to induce V-tach, and was not successful. So the decision was made between him and my attending rhythm expert to implant a pacemaker rather than a defribillator device. Then after the first wire was in place (to the ventricle) the cardiologist installed the second wire to the atrium and was not successful in finding sufficient conductive tissue, so I became the recipient of a single chamber pacemaker. After the procedure, I learned that apparently since I had been in atrial fib for so long (over 25 years), that the electrical system of the atrium had apparently become "damaged and worn" so there was too little conductive tissue for a two chamber pacer.
I was hospitalized from Thursday eve to Sunday afternoon. I am feeling better, feeling many fewer palpitations, which I am advised will reduce even further in time.
I had not anticipated this development to have further rhythm problems and recieve a pacemaker, but have been assured that I will be able to return to full activity including racquetball and rowing in about four to six weeks. Now I have a learning curve as to how to live with this installed "bionic" device connected to my heart.
I will share here that I encountered my first cardiologist that seemed less than enthralled with the maze. I gathered this as he and I continued conversing as he was implanting the pacer (a time I did not want to become too argumentative). Furthermore, I learned at the same time that he had an opinion that all mazers should be on coumadin REGARDLESS, and he referred to a recent study released by the Cleveland Clinic. If I have to go to coumadin on top of all these developments I will be truly disappointed.
Having heard so many times that a-fib was considered to be a "benign inconvenience" I am learning more in my personal circumstance that a-fib was apparently truly causing damage to my heart.