Premature battery drain due to two faulty leads

Hey guys! i am a 50 year old male and was diagnosed at 38 with idiopathic dialated cardiomyopathy and bradycardia. I have a St Jude Bi-Ventricular pacemaker and the battery life is usually up in about 2-2.5 years. I am currently within 0-3 mths of ERI due to an epicardial LV lead high capture voltage and a atrial lead that has a micro-fracture. This will be my 5th pacemaker since 1st implant in 2000. Both atrial and LV lead are scheduled to be replaced with new pacemaker. My biggest question is...will the cardiologist be able to insert 2 new leads in the current vein without extraction? I am pacemaker dependent with total heart block. Can the pacemaker be moved to the other side of my chest and have all 3 leads put in the new vein and cap off the other three in the old vein?

4 Comments

don't know

by Tracey_E - 2011-01-30 07:01:23

They usually can't fit more than 3-4 in a vein so that's a question for your dr. If they are extracting what you have, that's a very different surgery than just putting in new ones so I would be asking a lot more questions. Extracting is a specialized procedure and you don't want anyone doing it that doesn't do at least 100 of them a year.

They can do a venogram, a specialized xray after they shoot dye in the vein, to show them exactly how much room you have and where they can put the new leads. I had a lead replaced with my last battery change (that only lasted 2 yrs due to a faulty lead) and we did this before the surgery. They usually would do it during the surgery but I wanted to be involved in any discussion about where it went and what my options were.

No clue if a 3-lead can go on the right, sorry! I think (but do not know for sure so don't take it as gospel) that even if they start the leads in another vein, they all end up in the same place and there's a limit to how many they can have going into the heart so at a guess, I'd say yes it can go on the right but no they can't leave the old ones in.

Good luck!!!

best outcome

by Terry - 2011-01-30 11:01:55

See: http://pacemakerpatientadvocacy.com

micro fracture

by rdeaderick32 - 2011-01-31 01:01:35

I had a pacemaker interrogation and noise was detected in the atrial lead.... it is induced when I do push ups and bench presses. EP doc says that it is caused by a micro fracture in that lead when pressure is exerted on it from movement or exercise. It was causing loss of capture in both ventricles too... awful feeling. Also, thanks for the well wishing on surgery. I will let you know how it goes!

Question...

by Pookie - 2011-01-31 12:01:41

Just curious...how does one know that one of their leads may have a micro fracture? And how would it happen?

And good luck with your next surgery!!!!!!! Keep us posted then we will know how the procedure was done.

Take care,
Pookie

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