Over air checks & 11 years and counting.

Welcome back after 16 years

by Gemita - 2024-05-01 15:39:21

Hello ARSVS ?Adam?   I see you are in the UK and that you last posted 16 years ago!  

I know what you mean about not getting to ask questions.  I much prefer face to face appointments/in person pacemaker checks.  Getting a letter to say everything is fine is not really satisfactory and in your shoes and with a pacemaker that is now 11 years old, I would want my questions answered.  

Let me start off by asking “how do you feel”.  Do you have any symptoms that might suggest that your device is failing?  If you feel well, are able to be active without difficult symptoms, like breathlessness, fatigue, chest pain, then chances are that everything is still okay with your pacemaker.  You would perhaps notice a change (reduction in heart rate for example) when your battery starts to fail.  You certainly wouldn’t feel quite as well as you might feel at the moment.  But you have already experienced a device change, so you will know what to expect.  I am glad you think you don’t need the pacemaker as much any more.  This in itself is a good sign.

Have you tried ringing your pacemaker clinic and asking them for a copy of your pacemaker reports so that you can see them for yourself?  I have MyChart and my hospital places my reports/consultant letters there for me to view online after each in person pacemaker or consultant check.  I am fairly lucky (or unlucky) because I am followed up frequently now because of new symptoms.

11 years

by piglet22 - 2024-05-02 04:55:12

11 years is good going.

You don't say what make of device you have but the quoted lifetime for a Medtronic Ensura is 9.2 years.

My first device lasted 10.years and 10 months before it failed. Unfortunately despite 3 monthly checks in clinic, it still failed unexpectedly and was replaced after an emergency admission.

My present device is showing signs of heading towards replacement at the predicted 9.2 years round about December.

The worrying thing is that my Southeast health trust has cut out F2F checks and rely on the bedside monitor, a Medtronic MyCareLink.

They would send a letter asking for an download and then call me back by phone. They never offered more information than everything was fine and I always had to ask what the battery condition was.

Last year, they decided to do away with the phone call as well, leaving you without any information. Just what they thought they would save by eliminating 10 minutes a year is beyond me.

I have zero confidence in them and I haven't got a clue if transmissions even reach them if I do an unscheduled one.

The first monitor failed and the last time I fell unwell, the replacement monitor wouldn't connect.

On both occasions I had to fix the problem and the first time I had to phone the Netherlands.

I think this is a dangerous step too far and I have no-one at hand to help if things go really wrong.

The monitor does not communicate with the pacemaker unless I initiate it so putting it bluntly, you could die and no-one in cardiology would be any the wiser.

I kicked off when other complications set in and requested F2F checks to be reinstated.

It's good to have the monitor, but it should be an addition not a substitute.

The whole exercise is to do with money

I wonder how others would fell if you didn't see or hear anyone for potentially the lifetime of the device?

I think it I were in your position, I would be doing at the very least 3 monthly transmissions.

Getting a response like "we had you on our radar' isn't very reassuring.