battery change

Im about to have a battery change in 2 days for the first time is this surgey long or is the recovery long at all?

4 Comments

Replacement

by ElectricFrank - 2011-07-27 01:07:55

As long as you don't need to have any leads replaced (unlikely) it is a very simple procedure. While they call it a battery change it is actually a pacemaker change. The battery is sealed inside.

The surgery usually takes about an hour. They open the pocket and remove the existing pacer laying it on your chest. The leads are move quickly from the old to new pacemaker. That may cause you to skip a beat or two depending on how dependent you are, but no problem. The pocket is flushed out with some sterile solution and the new pacer installed. Finally, the pocket is sutured shut.

Using the original pocket avoids having to make one which is a lot of the pain you may have had originally. Since the leads are reused there is no need to avoid the arm over the head thing. Just give it a few days to be more comfortable before doing activities that affect it.

I had my first replacement in Jan 2010. I chose to have it done with a local numbing agent, and no anesthesia or sedative. Without needing to recover from the meds, I was in and out in about 4 hours. Next day I was ready for reasonable activities.

As they say, Your mileage may vary!

good luck,

frank

Good Luck

by kkc915 - 2011-07-27 02:07:09

Good Luck pacerBoy118, I pray that all goes well.
Keep us posted.
I just got my first PM last November, and I'm 99.8% paced, so I'm sure that I will be getting replacements quite often. God willing.

just got mine done july 25

by ironhorse - 2011-07-27 03:07:06

Just got my 4th installment completed this monday. Despite having others done, my nerves were shot going into it. This one did not need lead replacements which helped my experience immensely. A sedative that took away pain and memories of it being done was used. Surgery took about an hour and about another hour before I was awake in the sense I could ask question once and remember the answer. Pain is nothing this time around. No pain pills needed. I think ElectricFrank said it perfect about the pocket already existing decreasing the pain on these replacement surgeries. They said I can go back to driving in a week, mountain biking in 2. I went shoppin g at Wally world today. Hope it is quick and painfree for you as well.

a change

by pacerBoy118 - 2011-07-28 07:07:17

I was supposed to have it done today,but because my doctors never told me to stop taking my asprin so it is set for monday.....thank you for all the support and my leads looked good on my checkup yesterday so i hope just a quick change

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The pacer systems are really very reliable. The main problem is the incompetent programming of them. If yours is working well for you, get on with life and enjoy it. You probably are more at risk of problems with a valve job than the pacer.