new lead

I am having my pm switched out next Tuesday due to the battery expiring (not me) The Dr. said he is going to be putting an additional lead which dictates that I stay in the hospital overnight. Dr. says additional lead will increase my energy level. Any Thoughts on this?

3 Comments

CRT device

by golden_snitch - 2014-07-20 04:07:01

Hi!

I guess your doctor is talking about an upgrade to a so called CRT device = cardiac resynchronization therapy = bi-ventricular pacemaker. The additional lead is the one for the left ventricle. It placed not inside the left ventricle, but in the coronary sinus. I'm just going to copy and paste a good explanation that I found online:

"This structure is located in the right atrium and drains the blood supply of the heart. Consequently, the vein courses along the back side of the heart to the left ventricular wall. By accessing this vein, the left coronary sinus lead can be positioned along the left ventricular wall to provide selective pacing of the left ventricle that can be coordinated with the right ventricle via the right ventricular pacing lead." (Source: http://www.washingtonhra.com/22.html)

Some patients, who are paced in the right ventricle, develop heart failure due asynchronous pumping of the ventricles. Symptoms of heart failure include a lack of energy, shortness of breath, fluid build-up around the ankles for instance, and so on. The most important parameter to measure heart failure is the EF = ejection fraction = output of the ventricles, especially the left ventricle. Normal is anything 60%-70% (you cannot have 100%, because when the ventricles pump, they never pump out all of the blood). The patients I know, who had a CRT implanted, had an EF of 40% or lower.

Now, there is always a little delay between the pumping of these two chambers, but in patients who are paced in the right ventricle, this delay sometimes prolongs (wide QRS complex). To get the ventricles back in sync, a bi-ventricular pacemaker can help.

Hope this helps.

Inga

new lead

by harlemflash - 2014-07-24 12:07:45

everything went well in the OR and subsequent recuperation in hospital..but I am getting spasms when I lie or sit in certain positions. mfr rep says it is interaction with lead and diaphragm. any comments on this

?

by Mod - 2014-08-07 10:08:39

Had a CRT-P put in one month ago. Dr. Turned off third lead as it was using too much power. Have no symptoms before implant of heart failure. Blacked out once and heart beat was at 25. Nervousness about the third lead being shut down. Go back to Dr is eight weeks.

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