Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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Is it in ERI mode yet?

I have been having my PM checked monthly for a couple months now. I am due to go again on the 23rd. I have been feeling more tired and yesterday I was bending over at the knees and suddenly I toppled over and lost my balance for no apparent reason. I didn't feel light headed, but then why did I lose my balance so suddenly? I have been reading posts and it seems like when your PM goes in ERI mode, most of you say you could feel it? What are some of the symptoms you feel? Can it affect you...

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Anesthesia for generator change

What kind of anesthesia have you had for a generator change? I was told I would just get local anesthesia around the pacemaker site. I am a very nervous person and I don't think I can do it that way. I think I will need some IV sedation, just to make me not so aware. I don't want to be "knocked out" but I don't want to be fully awake either. I have a choice of two doctors, one who only uses local and one who gives IV sedation.

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lead

i, was wondering if any body out there had a recall from medtronic,if you did did you sue or call the commeriacl up,just courious

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Medical Tourism

Has anyone had thier pacer changed by this method? If so, where, cost, and opinion on quality of care, please?

I know that my health and logevity come before costs, but we are in jeapordy of losing our home and having to make big, stressful decisions ($50K) about our future...being an honest, tax-paying member of the "middle class" sucks sometimes.

Cheers,
Mike

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What does this mean?

I got 2 of my old pacer check reports and would like to know if anyone knows what it means. My pacer is in the ERI mode right now and I need to know if I am indeed need the replacement based on the percentage of how much I am pacing.


On the 2003 report:

Mode: DDDR
Mode Switch: On 175bpm
Minimum rate: 60 BPM
Maximum rate: 140 BPM
P-Wave Amplitude: 2.0-2.8 mV Impedence: 580
Atrial Pacing Threshold: 1.5 V @ 0.06 ms
R-Wave Amplitude: 11.2 – 1...

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Thumping heart beat

My pacer is in the ERI mode now and I have been having this thumping heart beats when I go to bed. Is this something caused by the pacer firing or is it my own heart doing it?
Anyone ever had those experience? Will it go away on it's own and why is it happening as I never felt it before?
Since the pacer is in the ERI mode now, won't it use more energy by doing this?

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New pacers on the market

I am just looking for information in case I needed the replacement in the future.
My pacer went into ERI mode on 8/30, there is no plan for a replacement yet. While sitting here waiting for an answer from the doctor, I want to know if there are any pacer that is smaller than what I have now (Medtronic Thera i DR). I am not a big person and consider slim, I just don't want another BIG scar on my chest, I show the doctor my scar and he said it is big indeed.

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Let the battery run it's course

Hi,
Does anyone ever just let the battery dies on it's own?
I am having those extreme tiredness and the doctor told me that it might be caused by the fact the pacer is in the "Reserve mode" so if the battery is completely dead, i wouldn't feel the tiredness anymore?
I am trying to find out if I need a replacement since the doctors that I saw aren't sure I have heart block to begin with and unsure about whether the pacer is helping me at all as my symptoms never improved since the...

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a crack in a lead

Hi I just had my 2nd pm put in last Friday. the doctor said one lead had a crack and he fixed it with silicone. Did anyone else have this occur. If so , did the lead have to be replaced before the pm. How lone before you needed it to be replaced. I was upset the doctor did just replace it. any info will help
thanks
patty

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Removal of old leads

Hello everyone

Long time no talk to. I've been reading quietly for quite a long time and have been impressed with the support and experience associated with this group, good job.

PM number 27 is nearing the end of its life after 3 years. The new unit will have a defib in it and therefore will require an additional lead. Along with that, a biventricular device is being considered requiring an additional lead for the other ventricle. My long history with PM's through th...

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$$$$$$$ Update and Question

I contacted the hospital that did the original surgeries and implants (London Health Sciences Center in Ontario, Canada) to get an idea of costs.

The lady in Billing didn't know if the procedure is done on an in-patient or out-patient basis.

As an outside the system patient, if I had to stay in the hospital, it would cost $3750.00/day ($4350.00 for ICU). The pacer would cost ¡Ö $5000.00. Then there are the charges for the doctor(s)...yikes!!!

Now for my question....

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$$$$$$$

My battery is low in my pacer (St.Jude, model 5342), and will need replacement surgery in 4-5 months. I am a Canadian, living in Savannah, Georgia, and no longer have free medical care...I moved here permanently. I have private insurance that will cover some of the costs of hospital, surgery, and meds, but not the device (can't get one on eBay...lol).

I am looking for the best place to have it done (costwise). I have a medical tourism company looking at options, but wondered where I c...

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low battery

Hello,
I am due for a pacemaker replacement in the next 1 to 5 months. For the past week, i have been having this "heartbeat in my throat" feeling. I am wondering is anyone else feels this or is it just a sign of low battery?
I am not a pacer dependent and I need to make a decision as to whether I want a replacement or not since the doctor who doesn't' think I need it and leaves the decision to me.

On those who had a recent pacer replacement, how do you feel when your batte...

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HELP

can anyone help with a panic i have? i had my second pacemaker implanted three weks ago and the wound has healed but at one end i have a small white plastic looking thing appeared it looks like a loop across the end part of the scar from underneath and over the surface and back in again ipanicked that it might be part of a lead ( i dont know what a lead looks like ) or maybe a stitch that hasnt dissolved it feels like plastic not a very good explanation im sorry but i paniced a bit.

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new pm on friday

Hi to all. I was just wondering if any of you that have had your pm replaced in the last 6months could let me know what type you had put in and how long the battery will last. I am going in on Friday for replacement and wanted to get some info. Having a hard time finding anything on new tech for pm. thanks

patty

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bad lead

A recent hospital stay revealed a poorly functioning pacemaker, allowing my heart rate to go as low as 46 when set at 50. A year and a half ago,had a st jude's pm implanted, and immediately it was discovered the lower lead was not working properly and was using excessive voltage to do the job This shortened the life of th battery to31/2 yrs.and I accepted this outcome rather than havethe wires revised by operation Because of the hospital report.I visited my EP, who upped the voltage to maximum...

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battery dying

I have a metronix pm for 11yrs. The battery is low and I will have my 2nd pm done on the 5th Sept. I have been feeling lite headed, tried,lack of energy. The dr. said these were all signs that indicated the battery was wearing down. It seemed to take a long time for this one to go down. I have a dual pm d/t complete heart block. hopes this helps

patty

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Lead Replacement

Hi, I'm new to this group. I've had a Medtronic pacemaker device (dual chamber) since I was 26 years old. I found out yesterday that the battery life is low (made it 11 years!!!) but that the lead to the lower chamber is not working correctly and that it will need to be replaced. I'm worried about the procedure. Has anyone (below 50 yrs old) had this done lately? Any information would be very helpful. Thank you. LSG

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Would you care?

Long story short...

I had my pacemaker device changed in late June.
I had a lead extraction done at the same time.
My cardiologist has never done a lead extraction so I went to another doctor in another city to have done. Research and references from docotor all highly reccomended.

In my check up with my doctor, found that there is a possibility that the leads are plugged into the wrong sides. So, they are into my heart in the correct side and place but into the d...

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Do any of you know what this means

Hi
Im booked in to have my PM changed on Tues 19th Aug and recieved a letter from my cardiologist to my GP saying the following - i really dont understand any of this. I really hope some of you can lol - here goes:

To summarise, this lady has an incessent atrial tachycardia which was not amenable to ablation. She therefore, underwent dual chamber permanent pacemaker inplantation and AV nodal ablation. I understand that since then, she has had recurrent difficult to control atrial...

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You know you're wired when...

You take technology to heart.

Member Quotes

I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.