Brain Surgery with a Difribillator

Hello , Can anyone help me? I am posting from Spain. My friend Paul has the icd and he suffered a brain bleed 6 weeks ago. If was touch and go and thankfully he has been on the slow road to recovery. We visit him 3 times aweek or more in the hospital 2 hrs away by car.He was on holiday here at the time of the incident. Today we have had the wind knocked out of our sales by the Doctors saying that he has heart failure and that they do not know if he will survive! Paul told us today that he feels more tired each day. Last Sunday he was doing so well that they were going to transfer him to a hospital near where we live! I was under the impression that icd´s stopped heart failure. Could all the machines that he has been attached to or near caused his icd to malfunction? It is such a shock to us. He has no family and is 60 yrs old on May 26th. He came through 5 hrs of surgary for the brain op and this seems so unfair and unbelievable too. He did suffer from an infection after the op that has taken weeks to clear and he is still not 100% clear of that. They said today that he still has some of the infection. Any info would be gratefully received. Thankyou. Liz.

6 Comments

GOOD FRIEND ~ ~ ~

by Carolyn65 - 2012-05-10 03:05:26

I don't know any answers for the horrible turn of events for your Friend Paul ~ I just wanted to share my thoughts and Prayers to Paul and to all His Friends and any Family he might have.

It is good Paul has such good Friends are you are, and I am sure He appreciates your great, steady support.

Keep us posted, please.

Take care,
Carolyn G. in TEXAS ~ Rain, rain come TODAY! ~

Hi Liz

by TalkinCardio - 2012-05-10 04:05:02

I am so sorry that your friend, Paul, is going through so much. Carolyn is right that Paul is lucky to have such a good friend as you.

I dont have a whole lot of info for what he is going through, except to tell you that I have an ICD and I also have heart failure. I think there are a lot of members on this site that have both.

I know for some people it really helps when they get their ICD, but it did not make a difference for me. So I guess what I am saying is, the ICD is most likely still working but with all that he has going on, it isnt helping the heart failure.

Cathy

I hope this helps some...

by elle415 - 2012-05-10 04:05:31

Hello Liz.- My name is Elle and I have an ICD. I have had heart failure for 12 years and had been doing well on medications, until my heart started losing the ability to pump as well as it should. Heart failure symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and swelling in the legs ankles and stomach.Your friend quite possibly is tired from all that he has been through. The medications he's on, brain surgery, his infection etc; That is A LOT OF TRAUMA. An ICD does not cure heart failure. It can help the symptoms by the device being programmed to help the heart beat more efficiently. Heart failure patients are at high risk for tachycardia or rapid heartbeat which is fatal if not treated very quickly. That where the defibrillator part of the device comes in. If it detects this fast heart beat, it will shock the heart into a normal rhythm. The defibrillator can also correct a heart that is beating too fast, slow or irregular. An ICD does not help everybody. My doctor once told me that an infection can cause a device to not function properly, but unlikely. His doctor or place that implanted his unit should have all this info. Even if his own doctor was was not available, the ICD can be read by the hospital cardiology unit. It is like a computer. it stores information about his heart. Has his doctor or clinic that implanted his device and monitors it been notified? I am quite sure they will have the answers to all your questions. they should be immediately contacted I am not a doctor. These are just some things I know. What kind of hospital is your friend in that would tell a patient that an ICD cures heart failure? It can be treated but there is no cure. You can Google anything on heart failure and it will tell you that. Something doesn't sound quite right. I believe perhaps you are not getting correct information. I will pray for your friend. You guys are good to look out for this man, and help him. Good Luck...

Elle

Carolyn65

by liz1812 - 2012-05-10 04:05:41

Thankyou so much for your good wishes Carolyn. I have just come off the phone to Paul´s cardiac nurse in the UK. She rang his phone to say he had missed his appointment with her. I have had a long chat with her and the signs are not good.He is a fighter though so we are all praying he recovers.It was strange that she phoned when I needed her expertise. Help does come when we call for it I guess. I have a few questions for the Doctors tomorrow at the hospital that his Cardiac Nurse has asked me to ask them and then I will ring her with their answers. I only hope he is still with us tomorrow. Thankyou Again Carolyn. x

Prognosis

by ElectricFrank - 2012-05-11 02:05:31

As far as the brain bleed is concerned there is a good chance of a reasonable recovery. It is the heart failure that is the greatest concern.

In answer to your question an ICD can't cure or stop heart failure. All it can do make the most of a weak heart by timing the contractions of the chambers. If the heart muscle is continuing to deteriorate then eventually there won't be enough for the ICD to assist. The other main function of the ICD is to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm if it stops or fibrillates. Again there has to be enough potential in the heart for it to work.

I've had a lot of experience with a brain bleed. My wife, Mary, experienced a serious bleed in 1999. It required surgery to remove the blood. She was in a coma for 4 days and then spend another week in recovery and rehab. At that point her prognosis was to go home in a wheel chair and hopefully graduate to a walker in a few months. We didn't accept the dire predictions and started our own rehab. About 4 years later Mary drove solo the 560 miles each way to visit our daughter.

So their is always the possibility of exceeding medical expectations. Having said that, Mary was in excellent physical condition at the time of the stroke so only had it to deal with. She was also an unusually motivated person with a lot of support and love from her family. The other factor is where and how extensive the bleed was. How quickly the surgery was done is also an issue.

I know what you all are going through right now. Whether Paul survives or not the best thing you can do is provide love and support for him. Mary told me later that during the 4 days of coma she knew what was happening and at some point made the decision that she would go for it and try to live. It also meant a lot to her that I was willing to support her if she decided to let go.

best wishes,

frank

Thankyou Each and Everyone Of You

by liz1812 - 2012-05-13 04:05:30

Hello Friends,
We rec'd the phonecall last night. So sad.We now have all the practicalities to sort out with Paul having been a UK citizen passing on in Spain. All his family and frineds to contact.
We did what we could for him and life is full of joy and sorrow and our lives were all the richer for knowing Paul and being able to call him a friend.
I Wish You All Well For The Future and I shall check in here to see how you are all doing from time to time.Thankyou again xx

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