First check

Well, tomorrow is my first "Device Check". I'm not sure what to expect.

I had my device implanted on 7/17/09. It was implanted on a emergency basis. The only time I talked to the cardiologist was during the pre-op consultation. He was more interested in getting his weekend started than informing me about the procedure. Since then the only people I saw were his minions.

Any advice would me appreciated.

2 Comments

First Checkup

by SMITTY - 2009-10-25 11:10:27

As for what to expect, you will probably leave there thinking that was a big waste of time and money. But the checkups are necessary, especially the first one, to be sure nothing has gone awry, which is very unlikely.

Of course you are going to be told your "pacemaker is working fine." Which will no doubt be true. Any questions you have should be based on your feelings and if you think something is amiss. If you have no complaints, then all I can suggest is ask for a copy of the printout of the checkup report. While, if you are like most of us, it will not mean much to you, but the next time you have a checkup you will have something for comparison. Also, it will be a way to learn if and when any changes are made, which is something we are not always told.

Good luck,

Smitty

1st Checkup

by J.B. - 2009-10-25 11:10:48

The following is what Aetna Inteli Health has to say about that first checkup. This is pretty much the way my checkups have gone.

"Your first pacemaker checkup probably will be scheduled for about six weeks after surgery. At this visit, the doctor will examine your incision to make sure that it has healed properly. He or she also will check that your pacemaker's electronic record to confirm that the unit is working correctly.

The programming of your pacemaker may need to be adjusted later when you begin everyday activities. Follow-up pacemaker programming is a painless procedure that can be performed in your doctor's office. It is done externally (without opening the skin) by using a special magnetic wand attached to a sophisticated computer. (Let me comment here - when they place that wand over your pacemaker you may notice a change in your heart beat. This is normal but get the clinician to explain what changes took place to cause the difference in heart rate.)

After your first follow-up visit, you probably will return to your doctor's office for pacemaker checkups every six months. Between these office visits, your doctor can keep track of your pacemaker's operation through trans-telephonic monitoring. This is a system that transmits your pacemaker's electronic record through standard telephone lines to a receiver station for evaluation. Doctors usually schedule a trans-telephonic monitoring session every two to three months to check on a pacemaker's operation.

As an alternative to standard telephone monitoring, at least one new pacemaker model now uses a transmitter that sends signals through a small portable cell phone. This special cell phone, which can be carried in a pocket or purse, transmits the pacemaker's electronic record to a receiver station daily. "

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Life does not stop with a pacemaker, even though it caught me off guard.