My mother has congestive heart failure and also Afib in which isn t responding enough with medication. With medication the lowest her heart rate has been while resting is 110. She is 77 years old and moderately overweight. Her cardiologist wants her to get a pace maker but she has refused? I am trying to convince her to get the pacemaker but she s afraid because she has an extremely hard time coming out of anestesia. How long can she live with a heart rate of 120 to 170? And how risky is pacemaker surgery?