Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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Wondering????

Hi All! My last ICD beeped softly every 4 hours when the battery was depleting, not gone. I figured all implants did the same thing....Apparently NOT. Sorry for those of you who don't have the warning. I found it very comforting. Ask your EP if you have one and would they let you hear it.. Bev

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Question

How can yo tell that your battery is low enough to get a replacement? I am on my 4th PM and I still don't know this answer. The first 2 it never got that low before they were replaced. Last one I felt funny for a week before I went to get it checked on my normal appointment day. I have had my current one in since July 2005 (It will be 8 years 4 months old on Monday) Since August I have had it checked almost monthly. August it said 1 to 7 months, in September it was at 1 to 5 months, and Oc...

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Wires

Do any of the wires for pacemaker extend into upper left shoulder?

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Help with information

Is there any pacemaker company that makes a through the skin rechargeable pacemaker? I'd sure be interested in learning about it. I know they wouldn't be suitable for every application. In my case, I have a demand pacer,and it would save a lot of money and surgery to be able to recharge it.
If anyone has any information please let me know.
Thanks
Don

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What does this mean?

I got a copy of my Dad's medical records and the person who adjusts the pacemaker wrote to the doctor "please note noise
on RV lead and continually increasing capture threshold in RV lead. This is an on-going issue with the RV lead and the patient rarely paces in the vent." I am new to the Pacemaker Club. What on earth does this mean? My Dad is 92 and has aggressive melanoma. Doctors can operate and remove the cancer but do not wish to do so until pacemaker is fixed. Does he need a n...

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Batteries good, Leads bad

About 2 years ago, one of my leads stopped working, no problem, they say it wasn't very important. Now the other lead is going off and on...They still check my pacemaker with the telephone but say, OK. I have been having good days and bad.
Any ideas as to when I should hollar at them about the bad lead?
Tom

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need some help

Hi,
I had a lead from temporary pacemaker work its way to my anterior chest wall. the thoracic surgeon cut three inches of the pacemaker wire. since then....2012 I have had "noise" detected in my lead. I wonder if the surgeon consulted the pacemaker doctor.... I get very tired and low pulse.(60"s)..The pacemaker detected afib 3000 times ...... was pacing me down and I was extremely tired...... would love some input.

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Surgery for new battery

So I'm going in for my first pacer change on Oct 31, doc told me my battery is at the reserve point & its time for a change, this was three weeks ago, my concern is, since I've had my pacer, I know when it kicks in cause i'm sensitive to it & I have felt it here & there but for the past two weeks while waiting for the surgery date to approach, I've been feeling sporadic intense dizziness... has anyone felt this while its on its reserve? prior to my pacer, I would have 20 second pauses and feel h...

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Going from a Guidant to a Medtronic

New to the club :) I wanted some opinions on which one of these devices anyone here has/ had and how well you've done on either one of these two manufacturers. I went through hell and back in the beginning with this Guidant pacer , 4 yrs into it, I started to feel somewhat better , idk maybe it was an adapting faze of some sort. Im unfortunately sensitive to the device so i feel whenever it paces, sometimes it was so bad that i'd end up at the ER cause it would pace for 10-15 minutes straight, w...

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Checkup

I got my pm in 2010. Technician says I'm pacing 1% of the time, the needle on the diagram printed out from my pm data showing battery power remaining is all the way on the "full" end, and the pm estimates ">5 years" of battery life remaining - the highest estimate available on this pm model.

Conclusion? May need battery replacement even less often than 10 years (yay!). Anyone out there had their pm for longer than 10 years (which I hear is the standard "max" battery life for pm's)?

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55beats

Hi to all...what does 55 beats per minute means if i have a pacemaker since it was 60 beats during my fourteen years?

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Can't get anyone to listen

Hello,
This is HK, I wrote about my car crash and you all were so nice to respond and wisely advise me to have my PM checked. Since my car crash happened while I was working all related health issues must be covered by worker's comp which, in my case, is run by the hospital I work for. I cannot get them to understand the urgency of this. Now, three weeks post accident my PM has still not been checked. I have been documenting my symptoms and here is the list: Burning at top of PM, Wires

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Car Crash

Hello All,
Good news! I pushed hard enough and got the okay to go to the ER. I went this morning and had a complete PM check along with a CTA to check the leads. All is well except for a few minor adjustments that need to be reset by my Cardiologist. The chest pain is bruising from the accident. I feel much better knowing the PM is okay. Being new to a PM and knowing that I have zero ventricular rhythm of my own it is a scary thought be unsure if it is working properly. Thanks again to ever...

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Lead extraction

Has anyone ever had to have a lead extraction before? Looking for feedback. I unfortunately got a staph infection which caused bacteria to grow in my leads. Had to have a lead extraction done. I had no idea the procedure was so much more involved than putting in leads and/or changing out the PM.

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Re: Car Crash

Thanks to all who posted a response. This accident has complicated my life in so many ways and I am very appreciative for this web site and all who take the time to help others in need. on 7/20/13 I was admitted to CCU at my local hospital where I lived for 12 days prior to pacemaker insertion. After 4 days I crashed and my pulse dropped to the low 20's. It was very scary but I survived only to get hit by a driver who was not paying attention. I have already contacted those who control which Dr...

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Car Crash

Hello everyone,
This is my first post as I am new to having a pacemaker and in fact it was implanted on July 29 2013. On 9/17/13 my car was hit hard on the driver's side, at a high rate of speed by an out of control driver who crossed a double yellow line and hit me from the side. I had to be extricated from the car and was brought to the local emergency department. I was worked up for everything except the obvious. Nobody thought to examine my pacer or more importantly the leads. While I...

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Medtronic

I have a Medtronic bi-ventricular pacer for viral cardiomyopathy. Last check showed my batteries at 1.8. Does anyone know what that means? When
I asked the tech, she skittered around the issue. Also, what are the symptoms that the battery is gone? Thanks, Diane

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High threshOld

Just got a copy of the tech's report to my local dr. "Ventricular threshold is high but consistent @2.6v@0.4ms and 2.6V@1.0ms. Ventricular output set to 5.0V to maintain an adequate safety margin" safety margin for what, does anyone know? And any explanation for high threshold? Lead is apparently in a good place.
Thanks
Suroy

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Possible Fractured Lead

I have had my st. jude's pacemaker for around seven years now, I moved and have changed cardiologists. Within the last three months I have had an increase of impedence which is causing my dr to think that I may have a fractured lead. My question is: if you have had a fractured lead, can you have shoulder pain to go with it? and can it cause a small pinching feeling in the pacemaer area? I am coming up on the end of the battery life, so I know surgery will be within the next year, but am trying t...

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new pacemaker

I am a week into my life with a pacemaker. I think I can feel
it and the lead wires just below the surface of my collar bone.
Has anyone else had this experience?

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You know you're wired when...

You have an excuse for gaining an extra ounce or two.

Member Quotes

But I think it will make me feel a lot better. My stamina to walk is already better, even right after surgery. They had me walk all around the floor before they would release me. I did so without being exhausted and winded the way I had been.