how long will they last

new to this site HI I have an appt with the medtronic people next week, for checkup just sitting around wondering how long my battery will last , what are the warning signs. pacemaker/defibrillator

5 Comments

hi there

by Hot Heart - 2009-10-31 02:10:50

ive got st judes dual pacer, pacing 85% of the time, and been so for the last year. Just had my first annual check and was told I have 7.25 to 8 years batter left. Hope this helps.

HH

depends

by Tracey_E - 2009-10-31 06:10:17

How long they last varies widely depending on how much you use it, how wide your safety margins are, how many of the extra features they come with you need. ICD's go through batteries faster than a pm. They can tell you when they interrogate how much time is left.

When the battery gets very low, the device will switch to a back up mode. It is still working but not fully functional. You can tell when you get to this mode because you'll likely feel very tired. If you only have it for the defib and don't pace then you may not feel any different. Sometimes people are surprised when they end up in this mode, but most of us know it's coming. Normally they can predict pretty accurately when it will happen.

medtronic icd's

by mrag - 2009-10-31 08:10:10

I've read where medtronic ICD's give out certain warning tones-perhaps other manufacturers do also. As TraceyE notes, usually pick a period between 4 -7 years. I've heard as low as 2years and as many as 10(!). Looks like I'll make about 4 years with a Guidant and 8-9 shocks.

From another site:

""Alternating High/Low or On/Off tones: Your ICD has detected an alert condition (low battery, abnormal lead impedance, electrical reset condition, etc.) This tone will last for 30 seconds (older models) or 10 or 20 seconds (newer models). You should contact your physician if you hear this tone. In the vast majority of cases this is not an emergency or life threatening condition - but it is important to find out what is going on. The alternating tone alarm will never go off just once. It will go off regularly at consistent intervals until the ICD is interrogated at the clinic and the condition that triggered it is resolved in some way. Most commonly the alarm will go off daily at the exact same time each day. This time is programmable and they likely told you when it would be or maybe even let you select it when they set up your device."

Roy H

by roy haycock - 2009-11-06 07:11:50

My first ICD ( I am now on my third) lasted 6 years
.Following a routine checkup, the technician set the internal alarm and asked what time of day I wanted it to operate and what tone/sound I wanted. She then switched it on to demonstrate it and I made my choices.
She then told me that, when it did sound, I should phone for an appointment, but that it was not an emergency and I had plenty of time before a repacement would ned to be fitted. The alarm activated 3 months later and it as replaced 3 weeks later.
I hope thet helps
Roy

How long.

by seeker581 - 2009-11-28 07:11:40

My pm batterie was replaced about three months ago after three years.Each pm has an alarm too anticipate any problems.Hearing the alarm for the first time can be a little unnerving.As long as you contact your doctor in a reasonable time you have nothing too worry about.Stay well.

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I'm 35 and got my pacemaker a little over a year ago. It definitely is not a burden to me. In fact, I have more energy (which my husband enjoys), can do more things with my kids and have weight because of having the energy.