cardio version failure

[REB3941]

I have had more than 6 cardio versions.  This all started in 2003.  I have had an ablation surgery. I have had a- flutter surgery followed by a cardio version.  I had a hard cough and have been in A-fib for 2days.  I am taking Flecainide 100mg twice a day.  What is the next step?  I am 75 and in good health.  

[DeltaDawn23]

Check out MaryLL's story on here.  It should be posted in her journal.  After 15 years of Afib, she was cured by having a thoracic maze procedure.  They go in through the ribs and it is performed on a beating heart.  She was having episodes every week.  She had had 3 ablations before this procedure.  It was a long recovery.

Also, Dr. Sirak at Ohio State University does a thoracic maze procedure and lots of people on here have posted that they were cured after the procedure.  I met with him last July, also looked into a FIRM ablation procedure at OSU.  At that time they had only done 26 and I opted to wait.  This procedure has a much higher success rate.  I am now being seen at the Cleveland Clinic this summer to get their opinion.  I don't know where you are located, but they are one of the best centers in the Midwest, and one report I read said in the world.  The AV node ablation with pacemaker is a possibility also, and some people are in permanent afib.  See Jerry_NJ's posts for information on that.  I would definitely look further for help.    Exercise has helped me stay healthier and resulted in fewer episodes.  I can go into afib after a cold drink or a large meal, also stress can bring on an episode.  I wish you luck with this.  DO NOT GIVE UP!  This can be managed.

[JohnWright]

Start swimming every day, or every second day, swimming for about one hour continual laps stopping every 5 minutes to let you rate drop to 90 beats per minute so you heart is not overworked.

It will take weeks but your heart muscles will get stronger and your electrical pathways should re-establish themselves to stop and then prevent the onset of any erratic or fast heart-beats or heart-rates.

[Artaud]

I wish I had something for you, I did some research but didn't find anything. Originally I thought a pacemaker may be of some benefit, but the article I saw said that with Atrial Fibrillation, it only works for people that are Tachy-Brady (and some limited circumstances)

Please see the following link (copy and paste if it's not clickable). Hope this is of some help, you've been through so much.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/pacemaker-for-atrial-fibrillation

"People with atrial fibrillation may need a pacemaker for a variety of reasons. These reasons include:

You have atrial fibrillation that comes and goes. And you have a fast heart rate when you are in atrial fibrillation and a slow heart rate when you are not in atrial fibrillation. This is called tachy-brady syndrome.

You had an AV node ablation  procedure that destroyed the AV node in your heart.

You have a problem with the natural pacemaker of the heart (AV or SA node).

You take a medicine for atrial fibrillation that slows your heart rate too much."