Tweet
[cardioversion.]
Author: CHRISTINE CROMBIE (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: 06-18-02 13:34
I wonder if anyone could give me some information on cardioversion. I am currently in atrial fibulation. I have been cardioverted before and it has worked. But this time it hasnt and i the doctor has suggested a different kind of cardioversion. I am not sure exactly what the name of this procedure is. This doctor has told me that he puts a electrical wire up my leg and shocks straight into my heart. i have never had this type of cardioversion before . I is usually just a shock out side the body to the heart. I would like to know more about this, is it dangerous. How is it done. Has anyone out there had it done. I am quite frightened. Why has the doctor chose to do this and not an ordinary cardioversion. will i feel any pain in my leg afterwards. Is there anything that could go wrong. what is the percentage rate of it being succesful. I would be gratefull for any information. Thank you christine ( Glasgow)
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[Re: cardioversion.]
Author: Board Moderator: Sarah Beckley (---.57.8.223.Dial1.Chicago1.Level3.net)
Date: 06-18-02 21:53
Dear Christine
This is the type of thing they do when an electrophysiology study is done. They snake the catheter up to the heart and test the heart to see if they can cause any dangerous heart rhythms and if they can, then they implant an ICD. You are sedated when they do this and you won't remember anything that happens but you will have to lie still for many hours and probably be a little sore for a couple days.
I've never heard of anyone doing a plain old cardioversion this way and I don't know of any medical advantage to it. Typically, when your cardioversion fails, they try a different anti-arrhythmia medication and then try cardioverting you (the usual way) after the drug has been in your system long enough to make a difference.
Are you seeing an HCM specialist? What medications have you tried? The standard ones are Norpace, Betapace, Cordarone and there is a new one, Tikosyn (disopyramide, sotolol, amiodarone and dofetilide, respectively). I would think that you would want to try all or most of these before doing an internal cardioversion since the key is for you to STAY in rhythm, not just get it to happen. And the medication is the key to staying in rhythm.
Please call the HCMA office at 973-983-7429 to get the name of a specialist. I know that there is someone in London that Lisa thinks highly of.
Sarah
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[Just wondering]
Author: Pat M. (---.tellico.net)
Date: 06-19-02 23:48
Is HCM the same as Hypertensive Heart Disease ? Just a different name ? Thanks Pat M
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[Re: Just wondering]
Author: Board Moderator--Sarah Beckley (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 06-20-02 11:30
Pat
From emedicine.com:
Hypertensive Heart Disease: Uncontrolled and prolonged elevation of blood pressure (BP) can lead to a variety of changes in the myocardial structure, coronary vasculature, and conduction system of the heart. These changes can lead to development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), coronary artery disease, various conduction system diseases, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the myocardium, which clinically present as angina or myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias (especially atrial fibrillation), and congestive heart failure (CHF). Hypertensive heart disease thus is a term generally applied to heart diseases, such as LVH, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and CHF, caused by direct or indirect effects of elevated BP. Although these diseases generally develop in response to a chronically elevated BP marked, acute elevation of BP also can lead to accentuate an underlying predisposition to any of the symptoms traditionally associated with chronic hypertension.
HCM may present with some similar symptoms, but it is a genetic disorder and most of us have normal blood pressure.
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Just wondering]
Author: CHRISTINE CROMBIE (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: 06-21-02 14:07
Thank you for your reply,i have been on amiodarone for about 2 years before the last cardioversion.I have been told that there is no other drug after this as i have been through many different medications.Over the last 4 years i have been cardioverted 6 times.My heart surgeon is not a HCM specialist and tends to only let me know what he thinks i need to know and no more, it can be frustrating. At the moment i am on amiodarone,warfrin,atenalol and thyroxin for my thyroid.He states this new procedure will restore my normal rythum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Just wondering]
Author: Lisa Salberg (208.47.172.---)
Date: 06-21-02 16:10
Christine,
Please contact the Cardiomyopathy Association in the UK for a referal to an HCM specialist in your area, we focus on the USA and while I know many of the doctors in Europe, your health care system is very different, and the CMA is better suited to assist you in finding the proper doctor.
Best Wishes,
Lisa Salberg
Author: CHRISTINE CROMBIE (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: 06-18-02 13:34
I wonder if anyone could give me some information on cardioversion. I am currently in atrial fibulation. I have been cardioverted before and it has worked. But this time it hasnt and i the doctor has suggested a different kind of cardioversion. I am not sure exactly what the name of this procedure is. This doctor has told me that he puts a electrical wire up my leg and shocks straight into my heart. i have never had this type of cardioversion before . I is usually just a shock out side the body to the heart. I would like to know more about this, is it dangerous. How is it done. Has anyone out there had it done. I am quite frightened. Why has the doctor chose to do this and not an ordinary cardioversion. will i feel any pain in my leg afterwards. Is there anything that could go wrong. what is the percentage rate of it being succesful. I would be gratefull for any information. Thank you christine ( Glasgow)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: cardioversion.]
Author: Board Moderator: Sarah Beckley (---.57.8.223.Dial1.Chicago1.Level3.net)
Date: 06-18-02 21:53
Dear Christine
This is the type of thing they do when an electrophysiology study is done. They snake the catheter up to the heart and test the heart to see if they can cause any dangerous heart rhythms and if they can, then they implant an ICD. You are sedated when they do this and you won't remember anything that happens but you will have to lie still for many hours and probably be a little sore for a couple days.
I've never heard of anyone doing a plain old cardioversion this way and I don't know of any medical advantage to it. Typically, when your cardioversion fails, they try a different anti-arrhythmia medication and then try cardioverting you (the usual way) after the drug has been in your system long enough to make a difference.
Are you seeing an HCM specialist? What medications have you tried? The standard ones are Norpace, Betapace, Cordarone and there is a new one, Tikosyn (disopyramide, sotolol, amiodarone and dofetilide, respectively). I would think that you would want to try all or most of these before doing an internal cardioversion since the key is for you to STAY in rhythm, not just get it to happen. And the medication is the key to staying in rhythm.
Please call the HCMA office at 973-983-7429 to get the name of a specialist. I know that there is someone in London that Lisa thinks highly of.
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Just wondering]
Author: Pat M. (---.tellico.net)
Date: 06-19-02 23:48
Is HCM the same as Hypertensive Heart Disease ? Just a different name ? Thanks Pat M
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Just wondering]
Author: Board Moderator--Sarah Beckley (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 06-20-02 11:30
Pat
From emedicine.com:
Hypertensive Heart Disease: Uncontrolled and prolonged elevation of blood pressure (BP) can lead to a variety of changes in the myocardial structure, coronary vasculature, and conduction system of the heart. These changes can lead to development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), coronary artery disease, various conduction system diseases, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the myocardium, which clinically present as angina or myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias (especially atrial fibrillation), and congestive heart failure (CHF). Hypertensive heart disease thus is a term generally applied to heart diseases, such as LVH, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and CHF, caused by direct or indirect effects of elevated BP. Although these diseases generally develop in response to a chronically elevated BP marked, acute elevation of BP also can lead to accentuate an underlying predisposition to any of the symptoms traditionally associated with chronic hypertension.
HCM may present with some similar symptoms, but it is a genetic disorder and most of us have normal blood pressure.
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Just wondering]
Author: CHRISTINE CROMBIE (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: 06-21-02 14:07
Thank you for your reply,i have been on amiodarone for about 2 years before the last cardioversion.I have been told that there is no other drug after this as i have been through many different medications.Over the last 4 years i have been cardioverted 6 times.My heart surgeon is not a HCM specialist and tends to only let me know what he thinks i need to know and no more, it can be frustrating. At the moment i am on amiodarone,warfrin,atenalol and thyroxin for my thyroid.He states this new procedure will restore my normal rythum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Just wondering]
Author: Lisa Salberg (208.47.172.---)
Date: 06-21-02 16:10
Christine,
Please contact the Cardiomyopathy Association in the UK for a referal to an HCM specialist in your area, we focus on the USA and while I know many of the doctors in Europe, your health care system is very different, and the CMA is better suited to assist you in finding the proper doctor.
Best Wishes,
Lisa Salberg