Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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I have two pacers in me!

Hey everyone.
I'm a18 year old girl and I was born with a complete heart block. So, basically, that's the reason I need a pacemaker to help my heart function well! But the thing is, i have it since i was born. So, the first surgery i had was somewhere around 1998 to change the leads. The second surgery was in 2008 a few years back, but they didn't change the leads. Instead, they implanted a new one at somewhere around my shoulder. I'm wondering if its okay to have two devices in me? Doctors...

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siezures

can a pacemaker cause siezures?

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Help

Hi guys does anyone know if a st jude pacemaker has iridium or palladium in it i really need to know thanks xx

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slightly angry

I’m 22 years old, and I have had 3 surgeries in the past 5 years for the same ICD. It was implanted, and leads fractured. Completely replaced, and the leads broke again. The leads were replaced again, and since I had the "top of the line" leads this time, I was confident that I wouldn’t need another surgery until my battery needed replacing. I had a post-op visit today, (6 months after the last surgery) and it shows that my resistance on the new lead is getting higher. This...

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Daughter with lead problem

Hi every one, I am new to this site, just found it a couple of weeks ago. I don't have a pacemaker myself, but my daughter has one. I answered a message under Parents and kids, but I now post my own message here, as I hope more people will see it.
My daughter who is ten yrs received her first pm in september 07 due to complete heart block following surgery, she had a partial avsd. In february 2009 she started feeling dizzy, this lead to her second pm implant i March 09 due to high treshold...

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When to replace leads ????

FIRST PACEMAKER ST JUDE 2000 SECOND P/M 2007. GETTING LOW BATTERY NOW 2.52 ST JUDE. WILL THEY JUST REPLACE THE P/M ? WHAT ABOUT THE LEADS ?
ANY TIME PERIOD ON THE LEADS ? MINE NEVER FIRED !

ANY HELP

MIKE

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Question about cardio exercise

Now that I'm pretty certain my pacer battery is going (pacer check on the 14th will tell for sure) do you think it's still safe to do my exercise classes? I haven't gone very often lately, a little scared of how it makes me feel. The class is called Fit Camp and it's an hour long intense full body workout - I LOVE IT (usually) & feel like a complete slug if I miss too many classes. BUT, my HR doesn't increase above 64 now so doing cardio makes me feel a bit weak. Should I let go of the fear and...

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Yikes!

I just said to my Hubby that my battery is going dead.... He rushed into the living room looked at me and exclaimed " How do you feel are you ok?" I was puzzled for a second and them realized he was talking about my heart and pacemaker! I was talking about my laptop! When I said it was the laptop battery he got p&*(#$ and tossed a small pillow at me!

he he he..... is smiling at me now. All is well.

PG

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Clavicle First Rib (CFR) Entrapment

Has anyone every been told they have a CFR entrapment? My leads and pacemaker were implanted 3 months ago and my ventricular lead has developed an insulation breach that the doc tells me is from entrapment between my clavicle and first rib. I did a google search and discovered Guidant has a published Product Update warning against medial subclavian sticks - especially in lean, active people. I'm a 53-year old triathlete so I fit this category. I will need to have my lead replaced and the doc...

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guidant lead failure?

my mother in law has had a guidant icd
and they just told her the leads are bad.
has anyone else experienced this
situation ?

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PM replacement after only 15 months

I had my first PM (Medtronics Stratoes) put in on Oct 15, 09 and thought it would last at least 5 years. I learned this past week that my battery is indicating that it only has 8 months or less left on it. My settings are more than double the normal because my heart requires it to work. I pace 100% on one lead and 80% on the second and then 50% on the third lead. Has anyone ever had to have their PM replaced so quickly? Also I will probably have at least one of the leads replaced. Will my recov...

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Pacemaker Check Up

I just went for my bi annual reading of my Medtronic pacemaker that was installed 3 years ago to treat Bradycardia and 3rd stage blockage.
My normal readings for the top chamber were usually in the 15-20 % pacing range and zero for the bottom chamber.
Now the top chamber is 12%, which is fine but the bottom chamber shows 40% pacing. Quite a big jump in usuage. The technician didn't seem too concerned since there are patients with 100% pacing but this is out of the norm for me.
The...

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Lead going bad

I have a couple of questions concerning a lead going bad. I have a medtronic dual lead pacer and the lead going to my upper chamber gave high readings during my last interrogation in July and will need replacement sometime in the future. My pacemaker works 40% of the time in the upper chamber (the lead that’s going bad) and in the high 90% in the lower chamber.
Questions????
How long can it take for lead to go completely bad?
If this lead quits working will my pacer st...

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Lead off or broken

Hi guys,
I'm new in the club... I had my pacemaker implanted on 08/18/10 so I'm only 5 days with it. I try to do my best to follow the instructions, I'm pretty sure I didn't raise the hand above the shoulder, and didn't carry anything with the arm. I got my pacemaker because IST that reacts very bad to medicines (4 times this half of year in the ICCU and 2 times vantilized and anesthetized in the ICU one time for 10 days and the other for 2, everytime on different med), they haven't started...

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More Info on leadless defribillator

Howdy fellow cyborgs:

This is a link to the artical I posted about a couple of weeks ago about the leadless defribillator:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2010/08/06/20100806phoenix-man-receives-new-style-defibrillator.html

Apparently, it does have leads of some sort, they just aren't inside the heart like a pacemaker's have to be. Has anyone heard of Cameron Health, inc from San Clemente CA?

Cheers. It nice and sunny in Aspen.

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Shortness of breathe

I have already posted that my father decided not to have his battery replaced in his om. He is 93 1/2 and said he's tired and ready to "go home". I have noticed in the last week that he is beginning to experience shortness of breath mainly at night and in the morning when he gets up. Is there a connection between this and battery failure?

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Need some advice

Hi folks, not posted on here in what seems like an age. Think last time was my 2nd anniversary which was April this year.
I hope all is well with you guys?!
I have a bit of a thing happening and I'm slightly concerned about some lead damage. The thing is I keep getting a stabbing pain in my left side sort of rib cage area right under my left breast. It's usually when I'm lifting my arm above my head. Now all I know is I do have a dual lead pm but was told I only use the one. They put t...

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Pacemaker Manufacturers

Does anyone know of a web site or a place I could get information with comparisons of different pacemaker manufacturers. Listings of recalls, strength of the company, pacemaker advancements, what is new in the technology and the history of the company, are some of the areas I would like to know more about, especially Medtronic and Boston Scientific (Guidant) Thank you for your help
Leslie

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Leadless defib coming out

I read an artical in a science magazine about a new LEADLESS defribulator coming out. It can sense and zap the heart without lead implants! Should be great news for folks.

More disturbing, was that the artical was saying that 40% of people with of leads need new leads in about 8 years.

I have a regular duel-lead Medtronics PM, not a zapper. . I wonder if those types of leads last longer.....

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change

I had my device changed today. It went well. I was at the hospital at 6 am for 8 o'clock change and was home by 2:30. I feel pretty good. I think the worse part was getting the iv in, it took 6 tries. (and they ended up not putting it in the arm the dr originally wanted it in) I was in and out during it. The novacaine stared wearing of a couple times. When they checked me before hand my hr without the pm was 33. I did take a nap when I got home and will take it easy the next few days. (I'm on v...

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You know you're wired when...

Airport security gives you free massages.

Member Quotes

This is my second Christmas with my pacemaker and I am so happy to be with my family.