So it turns out I have AFib, and my cardiologist is going to perform that procedure on me next week. I’ve been on a blood thinner for over a month, so I should be good to go. I understand it’s a pretty routine and quite safe procedure, but I’m just curious to hear what folks who have been through it have to say.
I’m on medication right now to control the AFib, and they are working pretty well to keep things under control. We weren’t able to get my heart back into “good rhythm” with the medications, but I feel fine and they definitely help keep my BP and HR in check. I’m just missing that nice little p-wave on my EKG.
With some luck, I’ll be singing “I Got Rhythm” soon!!
Had it done 2 years ago due to atrial flutter that would not convert with medication.
Wheeled into the procedure room on my stretcher, my identity confirmed, procedure explained, consent given. Had a large (5"x 7"), cold sticky pad placed on my back, a smaller sticky pad placed on my chest.
Then I had a trans-esophageal echocardiogram, so I had to gargle some local anesthetic (sit up to do this-you want to numb your throat and not just your mouth swishing it around), they had me put a mouthpiece in between my teeth with an opening for the scope they put down my throat. I was half sedated for that-gagged a bit but not too bad. Awake enough I could change position if they asked me to, but not awake enough to worry/care about anything
Then they knocked me all the way out, and did the electrical shock to put my heart back into normal rhythm-only took one try.
Woke up in the same place, felt fine. Heart beating normally. I saw a bruise on my back later-but the nurse was a bit too brisk peeling the sticky pad off-that hurt!
Brother-in-law has had it done twice for atrial fibrillation-same story without the echocardiogram-no problems except his hairy chest and back. More ouch for him with pulling off the pads
After I had my pacemaker installed I was having incidents of afib. Once s long as 5 hours. (I didn’t know what they were at the time, I just thought I felt lousy)
I went into the emergency room and took off my shirt. They stuck pads on my back and my chest and attached the EKG sensors. I lay down on the table and they gave me a shot that knocked me out for about 5 minutes. When I woke up I felt much better.
As someone else said, getting the sticky pads off of my chest was the most uncomfortable part.
Eventually my heart got accustomed to being told what to do I guess, as I haven’t had any afib incidents for well over a year. I have a fancy pacemaker that records every heartbeat, etc and reads it back to a machine about every 3 months. Pretty cool. I wish it would talk to my cell phone, but maybe sometime in the future.
Thanks. And just to be clear, I’m not really worried. Just curious as I realized I signed up for a procedure not knowing much of anything about it. My cardiologist did tell me not to eat anything for 6 hours prior, get to the hospital about 2 hours early and they would give me some “medicine” to calm me down during the procedure. And that I should have someone pick me up afterwards so I don’t have to drive. I knew they would try and shock my heart back into “good rhythm” and that the actual procedure was very routine, and would only take a few minutes.
I told my surgeon, “My religious beliefs aside, know this: If you believe in ghosts know that I will haunt you for the rest of your life if you screw this up.” He laughed.
I’ll have to ask my doctor, but I’m wondering how I’ll know if I end up back with Afib again (assuming the procedure works). I don’t exhibit any AFib symptoms unless I look at an EKG. Well, my heart rate is slightly elevated, but I’m not sure if that’s really going to tell me one way or the other.
I went in for it less than a year ago. They zapped me two or three times. It didn’t put me in normal rhythm. I managed to get a 2nd opinion w/ a well respected cardio electrophysiologist at Emory. After talking with him the result was “continue taking meds, you’re at extremely low risk. thousands (if not millions) of people deal with this every day.” So that’s what I do. I feel great.
Had it done yesterday. The worst part was waiting (they had me come in at 10AM, prepped me in about 1/2 an hour, and then didn’t do the procedure until about 3PM), since I was supposed to be zapped at noon.
One zap did it. I don’t remember anything-- my last memory is them giving me whatever it was they gave me before the procedure.
Oh, and I have a pretty irritating rash on my chest. Not sure if that was from the “paddle” electrode (as they called it) or that they shaved my chest at the last minute with what felt like a dull razor.
Thanks. I don’t feel different, but then I never really felt any symptoms in the first place. I had some residual swelling in my feet, very minor, and it seems like that is going away. Hard to tell, though, as it was pretty minor and could vary from day to day.
I’m going to bump up my exercise routine now and we’ll see how things go.
What meds are you on? I had AVR a few years ago, and had a few episodes of AFib afterwards. While they were doing my valve, they did an ablation which didn’t take. Two or three cardio-versions later, and a regimen to include fleccainide, I have been on a steady rhythm for about a year and a half straight.
Add me to the list of people who’ve had it done, but remember next to nothing, and didn’t particularly have bad side effects.
Or the TS;PE (too short; please elaborate) version:
I used to have fascicular SVT. It was episodic, and would normally go back to regular speed within a few hours. If not, I needed to go get an injection. On one occasion even a hefty dose of said injection was insufficient, and I’d been SVT for over 2 days, so they zapped me.
I don’t have fSVT any more. Not because of the zap, but because I got it ablated about 8 years ago.
( and best wishes for a successful conversion )