PM/ICD, EP's, Cardiologists, & Echo's

• by Dave H
• 2015-12-17 07:12:40
• Checkups & Settings
• 1460 views
• 1 comments

As an A-V Node ablated person, I can offer the following: My procedure ( May 2012) created for me a more "normal" life experience. Late 2014, my Cardiologist and my EP agreed that a PM change to a PM/ICD device was a better option. This was performed last January. At times with the new device I would feel some shortness of breath and tiredness. Current EP did a PM optimization while watching the Echo last March. Life was better yet, and although a recent PM download and echo showed no A-Fib events my LVEF has fallen to 20% from 30% previous. I exercise every day for 1.5 to 2 hours which includes 5 - 7 miles of treadmill and walking track. I'm 65lbs lighter than I was 4 years ago - 6' tall and 177 lbs in my birthday suit.(I have no other signs of heart failure - swollen ankles, inability to sleep while lying flat, etc.) Last week, I consulted with a new Cardilogist/Heart Failure doc and after an hours worth of his "grilling" me and checking my med record, he stated: "I think I know what's going on here." He plans on doing an echo/pacemaker optimization next week. My wife asked, "Are you an EP?" He answered: "No, but I KNOW
how to read an echo better than any EP." (Besides being a Cardiologist, his other field of expertise is echocardiography).