Pacemaker surgery

Hi everyone my question is I have had my 2 pacemaker put in 2 years ago and still have my original wires from 2003 and they are using more energy then normal I have a dual lead I have to have my pacemaker checked at the end of the month the last time I had it checked they said I had 18 months left on it when they do change the battery are they going to just cap off both wires and put 2 new ones in?

2 Comments

Doctors choice....

by BOBTHOM - 2019-01-12 20:37:55

That will be up to your doctor (EP) and cardiology team.  Alot goes into the decision including how much experience they have in lead removal (which can be tricky), and if there is enough room in the vein to accomodate another set of leads.  If you have a preference let your doctor know and be prepared to find a clinic that has alot of experience in lead removal.  Good luck.

ask them

by Tracey_E - 2019-01-26 09:23:47

This isn't a decision you want made when you are on the table! If there is room in the vein, they can cap off the old ones and add new. That's what I was able to do. They did a venogram (iv with dye in the cath lab) to determine how much room was in the vein. If there isn't room, they can go to the other side or extract and start fresh.

If you extract, you want a specialist doing it, someone who does at least 100 per year, so you may have to travel. Once upon a time this was a risky procedure but the laser sheaths they use have gotten better and the number of experienced surgeons has increased so as long as it's done by someone experienced it's no longer considered high risk.  

You know you're wired when...

You can proudly say you’re energy efficient.

Member Quotes

It made a HUGE difference in my life. Once I got it, I was finally able to run, and ride my bike long distances.