Lung function test

lung function

by new to pace.... - 2022-03-25 06:28:22

Sorry you are having this problem. 

My question is that is a lot of pacemakers.  Normally they last as long as 10 years.  Would then make you nearly  70.

new to pace

Pulmonary function test

by TAC - 2022-03-25 23:43:02

I don't see any connection between your PM and the failed pulmonar function test. Probably it's caused by other factors, like being overweight, smoker, having trauma, chronic bronchitis, breathing contaminated air, atelectasis, recurrent pneumonia, tumor, etc. I believe that your lung problems are independent from your carrying a PM.

Lung function

by SunnyLK - 2022-03-26 04:18:21

Thanks for the comments, I have had so many PM's because I am fully paced and as a child for various reasons they did not last very long, the most a PM has lasted for me so far is about 8 years. 

I am not over weight, or a smoker, or any other lung issues, hence wondering about the lung function test, I will ask about it at my next check up :-)

Scar tissue?

by Gotrhythm - 2022-03-27 15:56:48

I'm not a doctor so take my opinion for what it's worth, but I don't see how scar tissue from pacemaker replacement would cause decreased lung function, since the pacemaker isn't inside the chest cavity at all. I have frequently been amazed at how little non-cardiologist MDs know about pacemakers, how they work, and even where they are.

Whether there could be scar tissue from your very earliest heart surgery would be another question.

Hope you get the answers you need soon.

this n that

by Tracey_E - 2022-03-31 09:30:40

Sunny, did you have covid? I had a super mild case and now I have asthma. I never had a hint of a lung problem before. The doctor I see for the asthma said her office is overflowing with others like me. 

New to pace, newer pacers last 10+ years. Older ones, 5-7 was more the norm. I'm on #5 in 28 years. My longest lasted 7 years, and that one was only expected to last 5 so we were thrilled to get 7 out of it. 

Happens to everyone...

by BOBTHOM - 2022-04-02 14:14:18

Most don't realize but declining lung function happens to everyone.  The older you get the worse it gets. Underlying conditions just make it worse. And that being said, the worse it gets, the faster it gets worse, if that makes sense.  You can search for "The landmark study of Fletcher and Peto" for more details. Though the study is geared towards smoking other things can cause lung damage as well such as pneumonia and as mentioned above, COVID.

Pulmonary function test - PFT

by Ahilltopper - 2022-04-10 11:31:17

Firstly I'm not a doctor, but I am a health scientist, and I've personally had at least 25 PFT tests as part of routine physicals or fitness for duty exams. I'm 65+ and had a PM implanted last year.

In the PFT a spirometer is used to measure lung volume and other parameters of lung function. The test result validity is highly dependent on the patient following instructions exactly.  The LHCP giving it must be well trained and be watching you very carefully - for example if you don't maintain mouth seal throughout, the PFT is invalid. There must be 3 measurements within a certain percentage of each other, and I've often had difficulty doing that, although my lung function is normal.

The factors that are associated with lung function include age, sex, weight, height and ethnicity, physical activity, and altitude, as well as health conditions, and previous chest surgery. Lung function normally declines with age, but it is gradual and is accounted for in interpreting the PFT results..

So a very low lung function test result is concerning in a 40 yr old, especially as a new diagnosis. I suggest following up on this, and I'm shocked your doc didn't suggest that. I'd want to have the test repeated firstly, maybe somewhere else, and if still abnormally low, see a pulmonologist.

Good luck, and you should be able to get a a more definite answer.