Leadless defib coming out

I read an artical in a science magazine about a new LEADLESS defribulator coming out. It can sense and zap the heart without lead implants! Should be great news for folks.

More disturbing, was that the artical was saying that 40% of people with of leads need new leads in about 8 years.

I have a regular duel-lead Medtronics PM, not a zapper. . I wonder if those types of leads last longer.....

5 Comments

Hmmm

by ElectricFrank - 2010-08-12 02:08:07

I'm not sure how a leadless defib could work. The amount of energy needed to accomplish defib is much too high to be conducted any way other than wires. I question the article.

Pacer only lead life depends on so many factors that it is hard to predict. I just had my Medtronic pacer replaced for end of battery life. My leads still show little change in thresholds or impedance so were reused.

frank

probably refering to..

by turboz24 - 2010-08-12 05:08:18

They do have an ICD that does not require "leads" in the sense that they do not route the leads through veins into the heart. The device is placed basically under your arm pit, then a lead is threaded under the skin to the middle of your chest, then turned and the contact is placed directly on your sternum.

They fire at 70-80 joules to compensate for not being directly attached to the heart.

I find the device "unreasonable" because if you are active and younger, I doubt you would tollerate a pack of cards protruding from your left rib-cage, since there is very little skin in the area where they do this implant.

They claim the advantage is "less invasive" and "less lead issues"

Hi,

by Gellia3 - 2010-08-12 09:08:15

I second what Frank said. I would question the article and perhaps what they are talking about is leadless transmitting of information to your doctor, not the PM or ICD itself.

As for lead longevity. I have had my dual chamber leads for over 28 years and they are still working fine. I intend to keep them too.
As long as the impedance and thresholds are OK, they are OK. Can they have a problem? Sure, but they are wires, like that in a house. I had a 125 year old house and the wiring was still good. For me....I plan on having the oldest wires ever (actually, I think they are now!!)! LOL I like them.

With each replacement (I've had 7 so far) they check them out. So far so good. Unless they have a fracture or become dislodged, they should be good for a long long time.

Hope this helps.
Best to you,
Gellia

FRANK IS RIGHT

by pete - 2010-08-14 04:08:51

Frank is right. Full stop.

Sternum leads

by ElectricFrank - 2010-08-14 09:08:07

The other problem with the sternum placement is the 70-80 joules required to accomplish defib. The jolt of a normal ventricle lead defib is bad enough (at least from reports here), but the high energy sternum shock would be very painful. At the least it would only be good for complete heart failure with the person likely unconscious, but certainly would be used for just correcting arrhythmia's.

Not in my body,

frank

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