OptiVol Fluid Monitoring

Howdy,

I found out during my last visit to my EP that my ICD has a feature, described below, that monitors the build-up of fluids in the thoracic cavity that is apparently caused by overindulging on liquids & high salt intake from food.

My doctor showed me a chart and asked what I was doing around New Year's and the week before in general. I told him I was celebrating the holidays like lots of people do here in the US and he replied that everyone "cheats" on their diets at times and that since it came right back down he didn't seem very concerned. He did tell me that since my fluid level at some point had gone over a line on that graph that "theoretically" I should have been hospitalized. I guess it would have been nice to know that this feature existed before I asked about it by seeing an high fluid alarm message on the ICD interrogator's screen after the nurse checked my ICD out.

Any others have experience with this fluid monitoring feature?

Regards,
Kevin
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Medtronic Virtuoso has a feature called OptiVol® Fluid Status Monitoring that can help your doctor better manage your condition. OptiVol uses tiny electrical impulses that travel between the heart device and the lead wire to measure changes within the lungs and chest (thorax). Patients do not feel these electrical signals but they occur many times a day and may provide early signs of fluid build-up. OptiVol Fluid Status Monitoring is an additional tool that helps your doctor better manage your heart condition.

5 Comments

Opti Vol on Medtronic Concerto ICD

by jweese - 2008-01-16 04:01:01

Hi,

I am new here and came across your post. I had a Bivent ICD put in on 9/12/07 (only 2 leads) and then on 11/12/07 (3rd lead finally put in and recalled lead replaced). I went to the dr. last week b/c of problems I have been having since the 2nd surgery - blood clot at site and down the left arm and when they checked my device, my OptiVol level was abnormal. I have been having trouble with water weight gain since before the holidays so I have been taking an extra lasix. I watch my diet very carefully. They couldn't figure out why it was coming back abnormal but they weren't too concerned about it. They are going to check it in a month. I had no idea that my icd had this feature either. I wish they would "fully" explain things regarding these devices!!
Jennifer

fluid monitoring

by thomast - 2008-01-16 08:01:40

My medtroic 3 wire unit also has this feature. I keep a daily log and then when they read out my unit every 3 months I can see what I was doing at the time of any fluid buildup. I weigh the first thing every morning with the same clothes on with a very accurate digital scale, and if I see a significant weight gain I take an extra Lasix for a few days. I record all this then compair the next readout to it. This why I tell everyone to request a copy of the printout.

Interesting

by ElectricFrank - 2008-01-17 12:01:56

This isn't unusual or abnormal for most of us. Fluid retention is only a problem with certain conditions so I wouldn't get too concerned unless there is some reason to be. It sounds like another of these gimics to add one more med.

Fluid retention monitoring

by bunnykin - 2008-01-18 03:01:01

I have in me a Medtronic Virtuoso ICD too, plus a ventricular lead that's now on recall...isn't that "WONDERFUL"!? Yes, I too had on one occasion during a followup check, my graph for that OptiVol fluid status feature, the reading went really high, shot up way past the average/range line. My dr and technician said nothing and apparently six months now down the road never saw it again. I guess like ElectricFrank said, it's another gimmicky feature to warrant the price of the device too. Virtuoso is not cheap here in the Far East. Having said that, to be fair, if one is basically prone to retention of fluid and has CHD(congestive heart failure) this feature may be an advantage.
All the best to you.

Bunnykin.

This is getting Old Already

by kmcgrath - 2008-08-13 07:08:32

I had a three month checkup yesterday and my EP doc again pointed out that on occasion my OptiVol fluid level goes above some kind of line on one of his graphs. As I have been watching my weight & salt intake lately I kind of confused as to the usefulness of this feature & when I mentioned it in the past to my GP/Internist he didn't seem to be interested or understand what I was talking about or both. My EP seems to think this is some kind of wonderful fluid monitoring tool but I just think it's some kind of additional bell & whistle we could all do without. I'm just getting tired of the "nanny-nanny-poo-poo" watch your diet games from a device feature I never asked for.

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