Posted by Sarah on December 29, 2003 at 23:52:04:
In Reply to: thirty two years afibber posted by Glenn Camp on December 27, 2003 at 18:08:14:
Glenn,
Many, many people,who have been on and off this board, had to get downright pushy with their Cardiologist, and EP's for a referral to a MAZE surgeon, or a PVA/isolation EP surgeon. I had the PVisolation at Cleveland Clinic last summer. Fortunately, I didn't need a referral.I too had been "threatened" with a pacemaker, (from Mayo docs) because my heart rate would go down to 28bpm at night. It's really strange, since the PVI, I have had a much better pulse, at night, and when I first get up in the AM, 50-70's. I asked my CC doc. Schweikert why ablating the Afib would affect the "slow" HR, and he said there was no evidence that it would, but he'd be happy to take the credit for curing the bradychardia too.
I'm so happy I didn't let them put in a pacemaker!! I had come to terms with the idea, that after I got the AFib cured, i'd deal with the bradychardia later...but IT went away!!! I didn't go back to my local EP....that's how it had to end!
I'm AFib and heart medication free! Good luck to you!!
Sarah