I would like to know when a heart rhythm disorder is called ‘atrial fibrillation’. I am a 69 year old man and have suffered from a heart rhythm disorder for 15 years. I take sotalol and recently had to reduce a tablet because it made my heartbeat so slow. When is it time for a catheter ablation?
a man, 69 years old
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia. This is the case when the sinus node (which is, as it were, the clock of the heart, which gives the signal to contract) no longer has control over the atria. They then contract irregularly and uncoordinated, so that they no longer pump. That in itself is not immediately dangerous – because the heart chambers are still pumping – but the regularity is gone.
You can get atrial fibrillation in short attacks. That sometimes feels annoying, but some people don’t even notice.
Catheter ablation is a technique that burns small scars into the heart. This technique is often used today when it is not possible to get the heart rhythm back to normal with one medicine, even if the heart is otherwise healthy. I would discuss this possibility with your cardiologist.
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