Troublesome PVC's 10months after Maze = not the problem

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Posted by Roger Meyer on July 06, 2002 at 10:37:04:

When my Holter monitor results came in 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 he described as an expert in heart rhythm. 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 (rhythm expert) wanted to rule out the possibility of ventricular tachycardia, which my hospital monitor was indicating, so he requested they try to induce V-tach in the EP Lab before pacer implant. Fortunately, they were not successful. So the decision was made to implant a pacemaker rather than a defribillator device. Then after the first wire was in place (to the ventrical) they were not successful in finding sufficient conductive tissue for the second wire to the atrial chamber, 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 this late in recovery and receive a pacemaker, but have been assured that I will be able to return to full activity including racquetball and rowing again 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, in the EP Lab, 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. I will be very disappointed if I have to go to coumadin.

I would appreciate hearing from others who had to have a pacer implanted after they were in recovery after things seemed to be going well. I had had a full cardiac evaluation just three weeks before these palpitation episodes, and nothing was detected.

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