Replace or Reposition lead?

Hi Fellow Pacers,
I received my PM a wk ago and was told the next day that the bottom lead had moved. I know that this really isn't that rare after reading the posts here. My question is can the lead be repositioned or must it be replaced? I am sure the Dr will explain it to me on Monday but it has been a long week I can't seem to quit thinking about it.
I will let you know how my first visit goes. What questions should I ask other than the obvious lead question?
I hope you have some ideas for me.
Thanks,
E Bunny

6 Comments

thank you

by E Bunny - 2009-04-25 02:04:09

Chip and Terry I thank you for your response.
Terry I went to the site it seems to refer to Implantable Defibrillator I have a pace maker only. The information seems to be way over my head. I will read over it again when my mind is less cluttered.
Any thoughts on what questions I should ask on my first visit post PM?
I read where someone talked about getting a printout. What is that about?
I know ????
Hopefully I will have fewer questions and more answers soon.
Thanks again,
Cindy

DAVID Trial

by Terry - 2009-04-25 03:04:26

You are right, these were defibrillator patients who were were paced. It shows that the deleterious effects of pacing that bypasses the heart's native conduction system. The individual muscle cells don't contract in a synchronous manner, with some portions of the ventricular muscle contracting late. Here is anther study that your Dr. is familliar with that shows that ventricular pacing resulted in hospitilization for heart failure in normal pacemaker patients:

http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/47/2/282?ck=nck

Ask your Dr. to explain. He or she knows about the DAVID Trial. If your Dr. doesn't do His bundle pacing yet, asd to be refered to an EP who does, or send me a "private message" and I will find someone up to date who can (just in case your communication scrols out of view).

Terry

Reposition...

by chip - 2009-04-25 11:04:39

Should be a pretty simple procedure. If the lead is not defective or damaged they can simply reposition it for you.

Good luck & God Bless

A blessing in disguise?

by Terry - 2009-04-25 12:04:01

You are luckey, that is if you are one of those who had the lead pacing heart muscle and bypassing the cardiac conduction system (Google that). Now you can call and ask if the Dr. is capable of placing the lead to pace at the bundle of His. If not, we can find someone in your area who can. Also see: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/288/24/3115?ijkey=fc54101eeb36560b8f5865583bbdd2a50bd26de4&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

Terry

Moving wire

by sand dollar - 2009-04-26 01:04:13

Hi,
I had my pacemaker 4 months ago. The very next day they told me my bottom lead had moved and wasn't working. They said I would go back in for surgery that day to reposition it. It was exactly the same as the first surgery. They go back in the same incision. If the wire is still ok, they just try to get it to hook in the heart better. I think they had to leave me "open" for a while while they continued to test and check it on the screen before they glued me back together again. I would ask the doctor if they have to take the pacemaker out or if they are only working with the wire. I never asked my cardiologist that. He did say that a very small percentage has this problem but judging by this website it is very common. I had quite a bit of soreness for 3 months and he said it was because they had to go back in a second time and disturb nerves and such. I recently found out that my dual chamber medtronic pacer does a test on itself every morning at 4:39am. It wakes me sometimes and other times I sleep through it. It checks the voltage needed to start the heart which I guess varies. It senses when you are sleeping and does its test then. Ask the doctor about that so if yours does it it won't scare you like it did me.
Good luck with the surgery, hope it stays put this time. Mine has.
Vicki

Bundle of ??

by ElectricFrank - 2009-04-26 12:04:54

If a male cardiologist places a lead in the bundle of His, then a female cardiologist must place it in the bundle of Hers.

G:

frank

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