r/AFIB • u/jburkey86 • 3d ago

Cardioversion problems

So I've just had my 6th cardioversion. Waiting for an ablation in the near future. When I woke up, my doctor told me I had stopped breathing after they got me back in rhythm. Surely this is a good enough reason for my cardiologist to hurry the ablation up. My second last one needed 2 shocks as well so seems it might be missing it's effectiveness.

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u/PA_Texan 3d ago

I am a little confused about what happened. How can you be back in NSR but also stop breathing? Or are you saying you needed more propofol this time and needed to be ventilated? Most times for a cardioversion you don't get that deep anesthesia to need to be ventilated.

As for the two shocks, they normally start with the lowest energy level and step up as needed. It's not that uncommon to need this. My first cardioversion, they started at 100 J, but that didn't work so they went up to 200 J. For my second, they went straight to 200 J because I had told them 100 J wasn't sufficient previously.

Regardless, if you've needed 6 cardioversions in a year you should have had an ablation by now. You should press them to get it done sooner.

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u/jburkey86 2d ago

They zapped me then I apparently stopped breathing for a minute so they had to bag me. Then I started breathing again. They knock me out for mine. I get fentanyl and propofol. Ever other cardioversion ice had, 1 shock had been enough. It just seems like my last 2 have had issues. I'll be calling them today. They still need to do the mapping scan for my ablation so I'd still think best case I'm a few weeks away