Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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Replaced lead

I had a PM put in July 2017 due to low heart rate and BP. The first cardiologist injured me and I experienced horrific pain for almost 6 weeks before they realized what was going on. He had punctured a hole in my heart and it was leaking blood around my heart and lungs. I was rushed to ICU and another cardiologist replaced the lead. 

Since then I can still feel like something is poking me in the center of my chest. They had to open me up like open heart surgery but didn’...

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Battery Usage

Is it normal for battery usage to fluctuate ...I'm tested every 3 months..originally averaged 96% , then 70%, then 55%... now, 13%...Is that normal?...A little nervous...

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Lead extraction

i am due to go into hospital to have my pacemaker taken out and the leads extracted.  I won’t go into the reasons now. Too complicated.  I am however, going to have a new pacemaker put in and new leads both atrial and ventricle.  Has anyone out there had this done?  I am aware that it can only be done by a doctor who has done this procedure before.  I am extremely anxious about this.  I am having a general anaesthetic.

 

comments and reassu...

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Angiogram

Has anyone had an angiogram with a pacemaker fitted and also an MRI Scan.  I have both in the next month and am concerned the angiogram wire will be near my pacemaker leads.  Any comments appreciated.  Thankyou

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PM's Atrial Lead

Hi everyone...my son had his PM fitted in 2012 for complete heart block and since then he has been doing really well until late last year November they noticed he had some events recorded releated to "noise" on his atrial leads,sometimes three to four times a day.Took him for his 3mths PM check yesterday and the "noise" is still there having a total of 932 episodes as compared to 454 in Nov 2017.
Electrophysicist told us that his atrial leads has an insulation break s...

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New 3 lead pacemaker

i have 3rd degree heart block and totally dependent.  Now I have 2 leads top and bottom right side of my heart. My left side is working too hard and now have Cardiomyopathy. Infraction rate 35. So they are going put a 3rd lead to my left side hoping my heart will contract better.  Now they say it like agitates.  Anyone else had this done ? Thanks 

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adding a lead

they are adding a lead to my boston scientific unit. what should i expect in terms of the procedure and the recovery vs the original placement?  thanks in advance

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MRI

Hi again!

when I had my new battery replaced last March my doc told me it was the new “MRI FRIENDLY” model.  Has anyone had an MRI after receiving one. ?  What I don’t understand is since leads were not replaced is it still safe or would they fry my heart lol.  I’m not planning on having one anytime soon but my curious.  My EP says that the leads themselves are good to go....hmmmm.  Just wanted to hear your thoughts on the subject.

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PACEMAKER VP100%

Hi everyone. I come from Vietnam. My father has implanted a pacemaker (PM) since April 2016. PM manufactured by St. Jude medical. 
The PM runs from VP18% (June 2016) to VP100% (8/2/2018), threshold 0.3V 0.6ms, Impedance 525 Ohm.
My father tested PM in Nov 2017 with VP63%, Threshold 0.5V 0.4ms, Impedance 560 Ohm. 
My father suffered bradycardia (slow heartbeat). I am a bit of surprised and sad when I realise that the PM runs completely after only 2 years. It is too fas...

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Loose lead

I had my icd implanted feb 2017..things went as planned ..recovered well...

Jan 2018 I got shocked ..saved my life ..come to find out after test done I have the top lead loose in my heart ..went to my cardiologists was told I needed it fixed scheduled a date..got in operating table surgeoun decided before cutting me open to send me to another surgeon ..got to see this wire floating around in the bottom of my heart ..it should of been up top..

Surgery is set for the 6 th of feb..wa...

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Things that could happen

Hey guys hope everyone is doing well. 

I have recently started going back to the gym and my wife and we’re talking about things the doctor had said. 

I just wanted to throws this out there. 

Has anyone personally or know an immediate family member that has ever dislocated a lead or worn one out to the point of breaking?

The doctor says repetitive motion or bending of a lead could cause it to break or pull out of the heart. I just want to know...

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Icd implant

I had my St. Jude 3 lead pacer changed out for a pacer/defibrillator last week.  It seems to show much more than my pacer.  It is like a big lump almost on my shoulder.  Has anyone had this experience and does it level out?

Ellen

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Mammograms

Can your pacemaker leads or any other part of pacemaker be damaged during a mammogram?

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Positioning

Good Sunday Everyone

So I’m feeling good and I’m starting to get used to my PM. 

I do have another question though. Hopefully someone here will know or understand what I’m ralkibg about. 

So 95% of the time I can not feel my PM or my leads but sometimes when I lean forward or rest on my left side I can feel the leads in my heart when it beats. It’s not painful but simply a very weird feeling. 

The best way I can describe it i...

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New technology

Hello all my names mark , my daughter pearle has a pacemaker , 3rd degree heart block since birth she is now 5. Pearle is on her 3rd pacemaker which is now a Medtronic dual pacemaker abdominal. In her last operation they tried to extract lead from vein as was showing wear due to growth in doing so the vein collapsed so that can't be used now and they don't want to use the vein on other side until she is bigger , Hence why in abdomen now , on plus side she is now has a d...

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Can leads move 5 years after being put in?

I haven’t been on here for quite some time. I had to hav a pm put in 5 years ago this month. A month and a half after I had to have a lead revision because the bottom lead dislodged and went through the heart wall. Excruciating pain, nurses telling me it was just muscle spasms or my body getting used to the pm. I was put on pain killers and muscle relaxers.  Wasn’t until I called crying in pain and cussing the nurses out that anything was done and that’s when the revisi...

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Lead extraction

Two days ago, my generator went into it's power saver mode. The generator change doesn't bother me, but I have to get my leads extracted and changed with this one and quite frankly, I'm terrified. I've tried to do research online, but nothing I find is current and nothing I seem to find addresses my age group. (I'm 38) Anyone been through this and can put my mind at ease. I know I'm over reacting, but my anxiety gets the better of me. 

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Pacemaker

I had a Boston Scientific Dual Chamber PM installed two days ago. This is my 3rd. The 1st & 2nd were St. Judes installed in 1989 & 2007. Early this morning I was awakened with what felt like contractions or spasms at the site of my PM just below my collar bone, which have continued for several hours and are somewhat distracting and disconcerting. My leads are 28 years old, and before my most recent implant I asked my cardiologist about their life expectancy and whether they should be...

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Rechargeable?

Why aren't pacemakers rechargable? While the working life of these devices has come on in leaps and bounds we still have to have the device swapped every few years.

With any surgery come the chance of infection and if I've read correctly the chances of infection increase with every swap. 

Surely with modern inductive charging we should be able to place pad over the device and have it re-charge while we sleep and remove the need for reccuring surgeries over many years....

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Pacemaker

I had a procedure last Friday where they checked my bloodpressure, EKG, heart rate, etc.  The nurse told me the numbers which were fine but she also used the expression my pacemaker is pacing????  What does that mean?  I know I go in and out of afib (from time to time) but I don't have symptoms.  It just shows up with the technition reading my results.  Is anyone familiar with that information "pacing".  I am feeling so well I am amazed.  I am...

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