Crossed wires indeed

• by justjayne
• 2012-05-09 09:05:29
• Complications
• 1362 views
• 0 comments

Hi there,

This is my first post and I feel fairly ill informed when I read the posts of others. I must make a real effort to find out more technical information. In 2010 I had a third lead added to my dual chamber PM in the hope that my EF could be raised from 19%. Unfortunately I was in the 50% it doesn't work for. The thing that has been driving me crazy was phrenic nerve stimulation. After many adjustments, my cardio supposedly turned off the third lead which should have stopped the jolts to my abdomen but didn't. I then had a near fainting spell and felt sure that the incorrect lead had been turned off. After having had several pacemakers back to 1990 (including a dodgy Accufix J lead), I feel I know my own body but felt sure my cardio wouldn't believe me. Fortunately, the technicians were on hand and saw me first. After an hour with two technicians (plus a phone link to another) and my cardio all looking a bit puzzled, it was discovered that either back in 1998 or more recently in 2010, somehow my leads had been crossed and each time the cardio had thought he was adjusting my 3rd lead he was actually changing my 2nd lead. My dilemma is really whether to get this corrected which means time off Warfarin and risking infection or just carrying a letter with me which my very pleasant cardiologist is happy to write. Has anyone else had this problem? It seems to be prettu unusual, at least here in Oz. Thanks, justjayne