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  • 1.  Unpredictable Afib after successful mitral valve repair 6 months ago

    Posted 08-13-2021 05:59
    Hello all,
    Just wondering if others have experience with unpredictable afib when all else is going fine.  I'm almost totally recovered from OHS mitral valve repair, am able to do anything I want, but now have to stay on blood thinner "for the rest of my life" according to the cardiologist I like and trust.  She is also referring me to a specialist for evaluation for ablation.
    Others with similar?  Would love to hear.  Appreciate this forum and you all!

    Best,
    LL

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    Liza Levine
    New York NY
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  • 2.  RE: Unpredictable Afib after successful mitral valve repair 6 months ago

    Posted 08-13-2021 08:44
    Hi Liza, My story begins in 2002 when I was diagnosed with afib . They gave me medicine to treat it never talked about an ablation and that's the part that controls your muscle from pumping it just quivers instead of pumps pretty sure that's what your cardiologist told you. With the medicine they put you on it should control the afib but if it doesn't then they'd have to go do an ablation most of the time in my case the medicine works every now and then I have a flareup. In 2018I I had a flareup and the medicine wasn't working for three days i was in the hospital on an IV drip medicine and that wasn't working. the doctors  told me I had two options, one was to get a electric shock which will restart the heart or two your heart will eventually stop, of course I went with the first one, shock it, went into sinus rhythm even at that point they never mentioned and ablation. Of course from the afib I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I probably confused you with my story but made me wanna ask my cardiologist that QUESTION? I guess it's like this you either take the medicine or have the procedure and have to not take the medicine hopefully the medicine works. sorry if I confused you I didn't answer your question right,  it will all work out for you. We're all here for a reason to help one another,  have a good day.  God bless.  Charles 





  • 3.  RE: Unpredictable Afib after successful mitral valve repair 6 months ago

    Posted 08-13-2021 14:52
    Hi Liza,

    My Story: 
    AFib caused by mitral valve (2013)
      1.  Mitral valve repaired
       2. MAZE procedure for AFib
       3. Left Atrial appendage sealed off
    All well for about 2 years until AFib returns
       1. Put on Eliquis blood thinner
       2. Amiodarone for heart rhythm
       3. Had several Cardioversions
    3 years later Afib returns and is more persistent.
       1. Catheter Ablation stops AFib for 8 months
       2. Second Ablation is working for about 2 years           now.
    Since I had the left Atrial appendage sealed and I am not in AFib, I was taken off Eliquis 8 months ago.

    The left Atrial appendage is the most likely place for blood clots to form.  If AFib reoccurs,  a clot could form there resulting in a stroke.  

    This appendage can also be sealed off using a fairly common catheter procedure and installing a "Watchman".

    (Cardiologists do have differing opinions about staying on thinners.  One I had conversation with would have kept me on Eliquis where mine changed me to a children's aspirin per day.)

    Marv Norman
    CHAPTER 350



    Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone






  • 4.  RE: Unpredictable Afib after successful mitral valve repair 6 months ago

    Posted 08-14-2021 03:44

    Lisa,
    Assuming your cardiologist is correct and you need to be on a blood thinner for the rest of your life, then you may want to enquire about a "Watchman" device which can be placed via a catheter by an interventional cardiologist.  This device blocks off the left atrial appendage so that any clots remain contained and can do no damage, thus negating the need for blood thinners in an a-fib patient.  If your a-fib is your sole reason for the blood thinners, then you may want to enquire about the "Watchman."  
    It seems to me however that if you have a successful ablation, or some other therapy that fixes your a-fib, perhaps you can come off the blood thinner in that event.  We may be getting ahead here since we don't know yet if the ablation or other therapy will solve your a-fib completely enough for you to be relieved of blood thinners but you can certainly enquire about that possibility.  A watchman procedure is minimally invasive.  For me, I would prefer that over being on a blood thinner for the rest of my life.  Unfortunately, a-fib strikes quite a few mitral repair patients.  Best of luck in getting your a-fib abated!  
    Ed 



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    Ed M
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  • 5.  RE: Unpredictable Afib after successful mitral valve repair 6 months ago

    Posted 08-14-2021 06:37
    Thanks, Ed (and all) -- my appendage was actually clipped during the original surgery. So.... I'll go to the ablation specialist and see what he says.

    Thank you!



    Liza Levine

    310 897 2117