Pacing

Good point...

by Cabg Patch - 2016-09-23 14:59:29

By all means, if you're worried, Have your pacemaker shut off, then you won't have to worry about the future.

Your PM will give you a great future !

by IAN MC - 2016-09-23 16:04:29

Hi SONA   Although PMs have been around for quite a few years, data on the long term effects of having one is continually being updated.

You may have read that the risks of having heart failure  and atrial fibrillation  may increase  the more ventricular pacing you have. Atrial pacing is fine but it is best to avoid unnecessary ventricular pacing  if you can .Onviously if you need it, you need it and as Patch implied there is no alternative !

I see that you have a Medtronic PM ( so do I ) and Medtronics have an excellent feature called Managed Ventricular Pacing ( MVP ) which keeps the level of ventricular pacing to the absolute minimum which is necessary.

But you must keep statistics in perspective , there are loads of people on here who have been paced for years and years , have had several pacemakers,  and are not encountering any problems despite high levels of ventricular pacing.. Cause and effect of PM-linked problems are still theoretical.

Enjoy your new PM asssisted life and don't worry about the future. 

Best of luck

Ian

100% paced here

by LondonAndy - 2016-09-23 16:14:04

Following surgical complications.  I would have had no future without a pacemaker, and the way I dance I am more concerned about breaking a leg on the dancefloor .... 

Ventricular Pacing

by Good Dog - 2016-09-23 17:19:36

As Ian said you simply need to have your doc set your PM to keep your ventricular pacing at a minimum. I'll bet he already has. However, even worst case scenario you'll likely never have a problem. I have had my PM (Medtronic dual chamber) firing away for 30 years without any problems. I can still run around the block (though only if I'm being chased). Really, there has been no degradation of my physical abilities attributed to my heart (PM). There have been some attributed to my poor lifestyle choices, but I don't like to talk about that. I have had great care and my original pacer tech was very conscientious with regard to keeping my pacing at a minimum. As I've gotten older my ventricle is paced much more than my younger days, but again; you gotta do what you gotta do! I am still O.K.

All you can do is to try to stay on top of your pacer tech and/or doc managing your settings and then not worry about it anymore. These devices are rugged, reliable and allow us to live a completely normal life. Go out and enjoy your life. 

Sincerely,

David

Not all V-pacing causes HF and AF

by Terry - 2016-09-24 12:43:24

If you go to a university hospital sothat your heart can be paced with normal, physiological activation of the ventricles you needn't worry. Check out His-bundle pacing at His-pacing.org.

Pacemaker patients whom have experienced heart failure after a few months of pacing have seen their heart heal itself after pacing at the His bundle. Refer to the scientific papers page of the above mentioned website, or Google "cardiac conduction system."

All the best,

Terry

Pacing is....

by Terry - 2016-09-24 15:03:37

...not inharently bad for the heart. Placing the lead's electrode in any ventricular position that bypasses the cardiac conduction system is the problem - doctor's choice.

You must monitor your injection fraction or end-diastolic volure, so get a baseline measurement now if you are concerned about impending HF. Perhaps 90% of patients will not have HF (within a couple years). Risk of AF is also worth studying.

Pacing

by mread - 2016-09-29 13:48:36

Just asked my doctor the same thing. I had ventrical pacing at 92% and atrial at 0%, 3months ago. This month I'm at 98% ventricle and 1% atrial. He told me not to worry, the pacemaker is doing its job. He also told me that most doctors would like to see venticle pacing in the high nineties because although the pacemaker is working more, the heart is becoming more efficient.

Update on above

by mread - 2016-09-30 12:15:47

I guess my doctor is right. Just had a echo done. Before implant my Ejection Fraction was 19%, right after implant It was 25% and the doctor called and said I'm now at 40%. The EF in a good heart is 60%. So although I'm being paced more my heart is more efficient.