Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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Battery Replacement

I went for my 6 month checkup today and was told that any day now, my pacemaker should alert me that my battery needs to be replaced. She said it will either be an alarm that sounds like an ambulance or a vibration but she isn't sure which one. My question is, if it's the vibration, how noticeable is it? I'm afraid I won't realize it. And if it's the alarm, is it very loud? I have anxiety with the unknown so I'm trying to prepare myself. Also, does it go into battery s...

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Lead extraction scheduled

Hi all,

I finally found the right surgeon and hospital to perform my lead extraction (I got two opinions both doctors wanted to extract the old leads)

I will be going to Cedar Sinai in  Los Angeles Nov 5th for extraction of all four leads. 26 & 16 years old as well as the implant of a new pacemaker (hopefully this time back to my left side; non dominant) and two new leads. (He wanted to do a wireless but i definitely do not want that) way too new of technology and twice t...

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I want my money back🥲🥲

My electrophysiologist recommended Boston scientific  ACCOLADE MRI EL pace maker  due to its long life. 

Got it put in on 6/15/2024

first interrogation on 6/19/2024 showed 15 years battery life

second interrogation on 6/30/2024 showed  11.5 years battery life

comments are spprreciated

                    Rodger

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ERI

Hello,

 

        Has anyone ever had their pacemaker vibrate or buzz when they hit the ERI window? I've had a pacer for 26+ years and I've never experienced this. What does it feel like? Will it be noticeable? Will it wake me up?

 

Thanks,

Blake

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2 year battery decrease in 4 months

Hi guys

i was recently sent the info from my my recent pacer transmission I did from home.

2 things I noticed:

1. My battery has gone from 7.5 years to 5.5 years (since my last transmission which I believe was 3-4 months ago)

2. Miscellaneous Observations (MISC)

RV pacing > 40% noted

i reached out to my EP to get her take so waiting on that.

during my last pacer upgrade there was insulation damage on one of my 16 yr old leads that they fixed w...

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PR Replacement

My first post, as I just stumbled upon this group. I am 49 years old. I had SVT for many years in my teens,and underwent three ablasions. The last one knicked my aorta, giving me heart block. I did ok, until I was pregnant with my first baby. At 17 weeks pregnant while in church, my heart stopped and passed out. The EMT's were able to get me back and able to monitor my heart while enroute to the hospital, so they were able to see what was happening. 

I had a pacer and lead chan...

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Cycling

I have decided to take up a bit of biking since where I live there are a lot of trails.  This evening they had been working on a part of the trail and it was incredibly bumpy. Little jerky bumps.  All of a sudden I felt like I was having a heart attack as I felt pulling inside my heart..  could it be that the bumps were creating pulling on the wires? In the end it felt that way as it stopped when the path smoothed out.

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conditions

 I feel pinched now and then on the lower chest PM side. Is this normal? (a minute ago)

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Fatigue

I am waiting for my St Judes pacemaker to send a signal to my remote, indicating the time for replacement. I am extremely tired & wonder if anyone else experienced fatigue with low battery

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My pace maker replacement

I had my third pace maker insertion  procedure two weeks ago👍. Procedure went well.   I am 100% paced  so an external pacemaker was used with lead through my groin. 
Not much pain at incision site and just finished the two week course of antibiotics. He kept me in the hospital over night   Electrophysiologist cautioned me on keeping iincision  site dry so as to not open incision until completely healed to prevent infection which can be problem...

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Pacemaker question

Hi everyone.

I had a pacemaker put in last August.  I'm due for a pace check soon and a Electrocardiogram. 

My question is, at times I feel tiny pains that come and go around the heart muscel not the battery.  It must be the leads.  It doesn't happen often.  Is this normal?

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Battery gauge indicator

I was curious if anyone with a boston scientific device knows how long is left on your device when it gets to the yellow section on the battery gauge indicator?  Mine is almost to the yellow section, and then after that there is a very thin  red section near the end, which I assume is end of life (eol) and definite explant and replacement time.  Was wondering if the yellow section represents 6 months left on the battery?  Thanks!

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MRI with Pacemaker and leads?

I have had a pacemaker for almost 30 Years. 100% dependent. They just replace my last PM (my fifth) with a new one last Jan.

I have since then been diagonosed with Parkingston desease. I want to join a study that requires two MRI's. The PM tech said the new pacer is safe to have MRI. However my 30 year old leads have never been replaced. The tech was not sure even though I have model numbers for the leads. Any suggestions?

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Lead Extraction

Hello there, 

I had my first defibrillator implanted in 2001 after my cardiac arrest. Since then I have had 2 more implanted. I was 26 years old when I received my first one and my Cardiologist decided to implant it through my under arm and sub muscular. This was great until lately,  with my 3rd one. The wires are very close to the surface and I am getting cysts and inflammation from them. Unrelated I happened to get sepsis 2.5 years ago and had to have Open heart surgery...

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Pace maker replacement

Had 3rd pacemaker put in this morning. Staying over night.  Had an external pacemaker temporarily connected due to 100% dependent. This one is Boston Scientific. The prior two were Medtronic   So the EP switched me from a Ford to a Chevy  for longer battery life????

                  Rodger         

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Weird

I am wondering if anyone has ever felt any kind of electric sensation from your pm thru the skin.. like I have lost about 75 pounds since mine was installed so it is very noticeably protruding against my skin so that is more sensitive anyways but twice now I have accidentally pressed near my pm once when drying off after a shower and once when my hand slipped putting lotion on and it's almost like i got shocked but not my heart, more like nerves in my skin.. Does this make sense as someth...

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Artifact... fracture?

Hi. So I'm having some slight anxiety over my pacer and the noise picked up at my last visit, and this place seems to calm some worries at times so....

My yearly pacer check, they found noise, so artifact on the output. I am on my 2nd pacer, implanted.2022, I have 8.9 years left on the battery. The cardiologist said the noise could be tissue build up or a lead fracture possibly. The leads are original, so placed 12 years ago, and he told me the average life span of a lead is roughly...

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Atrial Amplitude/Capture Management problem conclusion - Will be fixed tomorrow

Just a quick follow-up on my problem. I spoke with the Nurse Supervisor in the PM Clinic at the CC this morning. Given it was a Monday morning and she was obviously very busy, I did not think it appropriate to take a lot of her time trying to get better educated on the Atrial Capture Management feature at her expense. Besides, I found a great explanation that helped on the Medtronic website (see note at the end with the URL). However, I did explain the problem and why it concerned me so much....

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Atrial Lead Amplitude Update - Mystery Problem Solved

 

I've found the problem with the help from everyone - Thank you so much!!! There are likely a bunch of typos here, because I was up half the night thinking and working on this! Sorry for that!

I have sifted through all my previous interrogations for my atrial lead going back 5 years. I built a spreadsheet so that I can cover all the bases. I appreciate all the help including Piglet that I have yet to respond to. Thanks! Actually, agentX86 was correct. The problem for the...

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Atrial Lead Amplitude

Those of you that are familiar with my story are aware that last month I underwent an unsuccessful attempt to implant a CRT. In an effort to avoid extraction of my old leads (37 years old & 29 yrs. old) we decided to simply change-out the generator. That decision was based primarily on the fact that My EF is low, but stable and I am non-symptomatic. Additionally, the existing leads although very old, were functionally normal. My previous battery life was about 9 years and my new battery l...

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You know you're wired when...

You have a little piece of high-tech in your chest.

Member Quotes

But I think it will make me feel a lot better. My stamina to walk is already better, even right after surgery. They had me walk all around the floor before they would release me. I did so without being exhausted and winded the way I had been.