beating in left arm

Thanks so very much, Smitty...and Gellia2, for the info. Saw my Dad tonight. He is walking much better, quicker and more sound steps. I think he expected a miraculous recovery, wanted to feel better instantly (as the Doctor said he would). I told him what I'd read from the "clubmembers" and that all recovery times vary. I will call the Doctor on Monday. They did not schedule a follow up appt. for him after he was discharged from the Hospital. II called the office, and they said my Dad will meet with someone from Medtronic, at their office, in 3 months. This I do not understand. Is this a normal procedure?
Thank you again. You guys are my lifeline!!!!
Anrob
(Angela)

2 Comments

follow up Medronic

by bowsue - 2007-07-21 11:07:02


Note to the Medtronic followup. I had one immediately it was inserted in the hospital and one after one month. Ask them when you have their test, what they are looking for and if the leads have lodged in the right place and how you are pacing, ie. I pace 94% with the pacer and my heart paces 6%. The Cardio doctor arranged this follow up in his office.

It seems we all have the same problem with the follow up and who is supposed to do what. I also met with my Primary Care doctor who was better and more re-assuring than both the other 2 drs. put together.

Marie

Dad's PM

by SMITTY - 2007-07-21 11:07:17

Hi Angela,

Every doctor follows his own procedure on pacemaker implant follow-ups. I’ll give you as brief a run down as I can on how mine have been handled.

At the time I got my PM this hospital had two electrophysiologists and they were each implanted more than one pacemaker/ICD every day. In addition they had a staff of some four to six nurses who did nothing but PM checkups. When I was discharged after my one night stay, I was given an appointment to return in three weeks for my first checkup.

No one could have had less trouble than I did. The incision site was a little sore fore a few days, but it bothered me so little that my wife was constantly telling me “you shouldn’t be doing that.” I returned for the first checkup, which took about 20 minutes and I was given an appointment along with a telephone modem, for a telephone checkup in three months. I had the telephone checkup which took even less time the office visit and at the end of that I was given an appointment to return to the office in three months. That has been my regular checkup cycle for the seven years I have my PM. However, I started having a few problems – the thing was shocking the daylight out of me – and I would call the office and be given a time to come in within 24 hours.

The three mo. and three mo. cycles have not changed. The in between checkups (and there were many of those until about two years ago) because of my complaining did not alter my regular schedule. I’ve had two checkups by Medtronic personnel. From talking with them I gathered that the three-month schedule was standard for Medtronic pacemakers.

As you can see this facility where I got mine is setup to handle a lot of PM patients. From what I have read here on the PM Club site not all doctors adhere to such schedules. It does take special computer equipment that must costs several thousand dollars and specially trained personnel to do these checkups. It is my understanding that the PM manufacturers will provide personnel to do the checkups so I would not be surprised if doctors, especially those in a private practice, do avail themselves of that help.

Now with all that said, if your dad has a problem that he thinks is caused by his PM, he should call his doctor and keep calling if that is what it takes. Tell him the axiom “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” applies when it comes to getting problems with a PM corrected.

I hope others can tell you what kind of checkup schedule they have so that you can get a good comparison of how it is done by the various doctors.

Good luck to your dad,

Smitty

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