Ask your Doctor !

Every Sunday morning I run with my local running club

- Nothing strange about that !

This morning after the run an old friend started quizzing me about pacemakers and ablations , It turns out that he is booked in to have an ablation and may need a pacemaker

- Nothing strange about that !

He asked me the sort of questions you would expect ;-

- did you have a general or a local ?
- did you feel it ?
- was there much pain ?
- how long did the op last ?
- what limitations are there on your sporting activities ?
- how do the settings on a PM work ?
- do I need take drugs ?
- do electrical appliances interfere with the PM ?
- any bad effects from the ablation ?
- will he have to cut down on his alcohol ?
- any advice I would give him ?

These were the usual sort of questions that we get every day in the PM club . Nothing strange about that !!

But, dear readers, my friend is a DOCTOR . He is a retired Consultant Physician who specialised in geriatrics . He has probably treated many patients with PMs over the years and probably bluffed his way through their PM-related questions

I cannot help smiling when I read on here the default answer to so many queries ," Ask your doctor ! "

Don't ever under-estimate the experience-based knowledge that we implant recipients have compared to the average medic.

Cheers

Ian

7 Comments

Specialization

by golden_snitch - 2015-08-23 01:08:39

Within cardiology there nowadays is so much specialization that even guys who do ablations do not really know that much about pacemakers, ICDs, CRTs. And those implanting devices don't know much about ablations. I have a wonderful EP, who's currently president of the European Heart Rhythm Association, but he's an ablation specialist and admits that, with regards to my pacemaker, I know more than him. I have been seen at the largest EP centers in Germany, spoken to countless EPs, and I have never ever had a guy who was familiar with both, ablations and pacemakers. The basics, yes of course, but none of them was actually doing both procedures. They all chose specialization, and so it was either ablations or devices. On the one hand I think that this high degree of specialization is a good thing, because doctors are not doing everything a little bit, but concentrate on one kind of procedure; on the other hand, sometimes it would be nice not to have to see two different doctors.

So, no suprise that someone from a different speciality who retired four years ago, has so many questions about pacemakers and ablations.

knb123

by IAN MC - 2015-08-23 11:08:03

Wrong assumption, unless you call 4 years a long time !

I have no reason to question his excellence as a doctor but I do believe that the average medical knowledge re PM / ICD implants is quite low unless they are EP specialists.

Quiz your GP some time on what he / she knows about pacemakers, it can be quite revealing !

Ian

Docs

by Good Dog - 2015-08-23 11:08:17

I do find your experience experience with your running partner to be quite interesting. I am pretty old and can tell you that over the years I have had many good doctors and many bad ones. When I was younger and very naive, I took everything the doc said as the gospel. I know better now.
I find that you really do need to get to know your doctor. I think you can do that by asking lots of questions and then checking their answers. I certainly don't worry too much when it comes to minor issues, but when it is something serious you shouldn't take anything for granted.
My GP is really mediocre, but my cardiologist is pretty darn good. The local hospital is O.K. for minor stuff such as changing my PM generator. However, if I need something done that is complex and/or dangerous, I'll go to the Cleveland Clinic.
I think that one needs to have a high level of confidence in their doctor. If it is something serious, you should get the best you can find.
As I always say: Only half of the doctors out there finished in the top 50% of their class.
Dave

comment

by knb123 - 2015-08-23 11:08:56

Hmm. Well. I'm going to assume your running buddy retired from medicine a long time ago and simply wanted a "refresher" from a current PM user.

That said, every profession has its excellent practitioners and those who are less than excellent...whence that old joke: "What do you call the person who finished last in his class at medical school?" "Doctor."

Very Interesting

by Casper - 2015-08-24 02:08:39

Hi Ian,

Haven't been on in a long time, it's good to be back.

Your comment speaks volumes, I really appreciate you sharing this with us.

I also like the other comments added to your post.

Casper

Don't lose that thought!

by hopefulheart - 2015-08-24 07:08:22

Hi, Dave
Excellent last sentence.......choose the best if you want the best, remembering no one knows everything there is to know about anything and certainly not everything.
hopefulheart

Hi Casper....

by Tattoo Man - 2015-08-26 07:08:49


........good to see you back on the pitch...

Tattoo Man xx

You know you're wired when...

Your device makes you win at the slot machines.

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