Hello, Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com.
You are a known case of wpw. That can explain the palpitations that occur at night. Shortness of breath maybe because of lot or reasons. It could be due to anxiety or anemia. It could also be due to heart failure. The only definite way and definite investigation that will tell us whether it is due to heart failure is 2d echo. So I would recommend that you undergo 2d echo for further investigating the shortness of breath. Also please get a hemogram done.
Feel free to discuss further,
Regards
Dr Vivek Mahajan
DM Cardiology
Patient replied :
Thanks for the response doctor, my initial question however i guess was/is -- does having Left Ventricular non compaction cardiomyopathy mean heart failure? I apologize, i have no clue why the rest of the words did not appear in my initial message. But after a night of drinking heavily in 2012, i went to the hospital with a bpm of 220, stayed overnight for observation. This is the very first time, looking in my chart that i've seen LVNCC -- as I've researched its heart failure. Now, im not sure if it was because of the alcohol that night but from my reading its a like a birth defect. After seeing my cardiologist a month later, this was never ever brought up, only WPW. I was put on meds and given a suggestion for an ablation. I just find the lack of information confusing.
Hello.
Non compaction cardiomyopathy is a disorder present from birth but may present later in life. The severity of its impact on the heart will vary. Occasionally the heart function will be severely reduced and lead to heart failure. However, if it is mild, it can be present with a normal heart function.
This will be evident if you have a look at your Ejection Fraction or EF in your ECHO report. If it is 55 to 60 you have a normal heart function and heart failure is unlikely.
Other problems that may arise out of non-compaction are arrhythmias (irregular heart beats) like the one you had. Although alcohol may be a precipitating cause, the non compaction may contribute as well.
So if you had just one episode of tachycardia it may or may not be ablated by radio-frequency.
If you have multiple episodes you could undergo ablation.
I hope that answers your question. Let me know if you have further queries.
Regards,
Dr Vivek Mahajan.
Patient replied :
Thank you for all of your information. It was very helpful. Today i have an appointment with a cardiologist.