replacement of pacemaker

Hi,
I see my cardiologist every January for a pacemaker check up.
In January 2009, I was advised that the battery had two years to run. Working on this basis, I figure I have around one year to go.
When do you think my cardiologist will actually do the replacement? Six months before? Three months?

It'd be great to have an idea of how long before the battery end of life they do the replacement.
thanks
Kate

2 Comments

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by pete - 2009-12-11 04:12:55

Should be a bit before it goes into elective replacement mode. Ask the technician at the next check up.Ask if its goy a gas gauge and look for the red dot on the screen !! If you think they have let it slip ( not unknown, happened to my neighbour ) and you are feeling unwell , get yourself into casualty. When the pacemaker is in replacement mode it will still keep you going for approximately 6 months. Cheers Peter

depends

by Tracey_E - 2009-12-11 07:12:08

It depends how they're calculating that two years. The expected life is usually given as a range, not a specific date, and they usually tell us the short end of it so my guess would be your estimate is really 2-3 yrs and they expect to change it out in approx 2 yrs. My last check said 4-8 mos. I go back in Jan and expect to schedule the replacement then.

Some insurance co's require it to go into the end of life mode Pete mentioned before they'll replace it. You have 3 months or so once that happens.

If insurance allows, most of us try to do it before that happens. This will be my 4th replacement. When I get down to the last few months, I go every month and they tell me when it won't last another month and I get it scheduled. The last two times I scheduled it before I really had to because I wanted to do it while my kids were on summer break when we're not on the go so much. I was hoping to make it to spring break this time but it's looking like it won't go that long. As long as you keep an eye on how much time you have left, there is usually some flexibility in when we have it done.

And if you hadn't heard, replacements are super easy! I'm usually home fixing my own lunch if I have an early appointment.

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