??? Wrong Implant ??

Hi. I am new to this site. I have just joined. I was looking around on the web for answers to my questions when I found this. I have an IPG implant and it was the replacement for a Kappa 2000. I was incarcerated during the time of the replacement. I still believe this is why they chose to put a " lesser" model in place of the existing one. My question is this; Does my crime give the doctor the right to determine my quality of life? Why would he put something less in place of a pacemaker that worked perfectly for me for almost 11 years? Now I am a felon that can not get medicaid and can not afford or have been denied insurance for a pre existing condition. I have had so many medical problems since this was put in. What can I do? I don't want this to go on until it kills me.

14 Comments

Wow

by IAN MC - 2012-10-25 01:10:55

Welcome to the club and I hope you receive some helpful advice from your side of the pond ( I live in the UK }

It would be helpful if you could supply a little more info :-

-- I assume you had no problems with the Kappa 2000 and that it was replaced because of the battery ?

-- Why are you so sure that the replacement is a "lesser"
model ? What is it ?

-- Are the medical problems that you have had definitely related to your second implant ; what are they and how do you know the cause of them ?

-- You raise interesting questions about the rights of a "felon" as you describe yourself . It would seem to me that , if you have served your period of incarceration you should not be punished further in any way especially in regard to your health . I would be surprised if the medical profession provide different tiers of healthcare for people inside prisons compared to those outside .... but anything is possible !

Best of luck

Ian

reply to WOW

by vphillips - 2012-10-25 03:10:21

Yes I agree, I should have given a little more information. Yes there were little to no problems with the Kappa 2000 in the 11 yrs I had it. Most of the time, I forgot I even had a heart problem. It was, to say the least, compatible with my body. In fact, the life span of that model was a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 5. I beat that by double. The battery had died and my heart can not sustain a beat on its own. It can hold on to maybe 17 BPM but not for long.
Within 12 weeks of the implant, I was back at the hospital and they downloaded the information from the new pacemaker which btw is an IPG generator ( oh yeah... that was recalled 4 weeks before they gave me this implant) and my implant had recorded exactly 2000 high atrial attacks. The reason that it was an even 2000 is bc that is the maximum it will record. I experience chronic fatigue, swelling very badly in my legs, chest pain on the left side and under my left shoulder blade, things like that.oh and the strangest thing is that since that surgery i can not drink or eat milk products.. strange huh? These are things I never experienced before. According to what I read ( I am no doctor and keep in mind that its a bit confusing to read and understand all that stuff) an IPG generator is not a suitable replacement for a kappa 2000 that worked for me as well as that one did. One of the medtronic reps had stated that there was an obvious problem with the compatibility of this model with my body and later on an EKG showed that this model is malfunctioning. But without money or health insurance.. I can not get a doctor to sponsor me for the replacement. Greenville hospital system will write the bill off but that leaves me with finding a doctor to actually do the surgery. Any ideas?

Although I have served my sentence and changed my life. It changes nothing for me, recitivism seems to be the foundation for a lot of congressmen and women to get elected but nothing changes.. I am not eligible for any assistance or housing or anything for that matter.. I could understand if I had gone back to prison or repeated the same behavior that got me there to begin with.. but it seems that after that first mistake you are branded for life.

malfunction

by Alma Annie - 2012-10-25 05:10:24

It seems to me that if a device is malfunctioning it should be replaced for free and the bills picked up by the manufacturers. This happened when my husband had to have a malfunctioning hip replacement replaced 2 years after original. Manufacturer paid surgery, hospital and rehab. Perhaps talk to the Medtronic rep, and find out more info about the situation. I suppose you live in US. I cannot believe that in that country your health would be compromised due to lack of insurance which you cannot obtain due to a pre-existing condition. That would not happen here in Australia. After all doctors have to take the Hippocratic oath to save lives as much as possible.

Good on you for changing your life. I have a son who did just that almost 2 years ago. I hope you have a family who can support you. Please keep going, eventually people will forget, and you will not be 'branded for life'. If people want to keep on punishing you after you have paid for your mistake, then that is THEIR problem.

Please let us know how you go.
All the very best.
Alma Annie

edits

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-25 10:10:06

Comments have been edited/removed. Please play nice.


Tracey
Moderator

PM Probleems

by SMITTY - 2012-10-25 11:10:47


If they had given you a Kappa 2000 to replace the 11 year old one that was replaced the replacement would have been a used or refurbished one, which is something they don't do in the USA. Your Kappa 2000 was like my Medtronic Kappa 900 (something) which I got in 2000 that had to be replaced after 9 years was in production for only 2 years. Pacemakers are about like Microsoft operating systems, they are up graded every couple of years.

When I got my replacement the dr said they were putting a different brand (St, Jude something) )and I asked what was the difference in it and my Medtronic and he said nothing really. To quote him "all pacemakers do about the same thing, just do it a little differently." I got him to put in a Medtronic Versa and it has been difficult to get the best setting for me.

As for you getting a bad PM as a replacement, well anything is possible, but I would be more inclined to think the PM is OK, it is the settings that need to be changed. A defective PM is pretty easy to detect during a checkup, but settings that are the best for you, believe it or not, are harder to recognize. It takes a person that has knowledge of both the heart and a PM. Not all Drs. can meet those qualifications, let alone a nurse/technician.

Considering your situation, I can't recommend a path for you to take to get things corrected. I guess if it were me I would make a list of my problems that I think are being caused by my PM and go to an ER.

I wish you the best.

Smitty

TraceyE

by SMITTY - 2012-10-25 11:10:50

Thank you young Lady. Smitty

Just for whatever its worth

by vphillips - 2012-10-26 02:10:18

Hi. I agree with what you said about felons being the substandard care. This is done only to ensure that there will not be an unlawful death or malpractice or neglect case on their hands. Be that as it may, it seems to me that if the " felon" in question has to carry the burden of their own medical bill then the treatment and care of that felon should be fitting, to say the least.
Although, I entered any and all programs to help me correct the things that obviously needed to be correct,that rehabilitation was in vain simply because society has already predetermined my failure before I even had a chance to succeed. I will not give up. I had thought of relocating. This is not cheap. So it will take time. I am a full time college student and a full time grill cook. *( that pay is below minimum wage) but I am grateful for it. Anything an hour is better than nothing. I will look into " Out West".. You have sparked my interest. Thank you.

America never ceases to surprise me !

by IAN MC - 2012-10-26 02:10:29

Angry Sparrow You say that " Prisoners frequently receive substandard medical care "

How does this fit in with the Hippocratic oath where Drs swear that they will always act in the best interests of their patients ( not the exact wording but that is the sentiment} ?

If what you say is true, your health care system is definitely broken big time !

Ian

PM Problems

by vphillips - 2012-10-26 02:10:38

I wish I had the Kappa 2000 back. That is the one they took out after 11 years. I did not know that they were only manufactured for a short amount of time. I guess I am someone who thinks if it isn't broken then don't fix it. LOL! I wish I would have been consulted or asked or even informed of the details of what I was receiving. But maybe the next surgery will go better for me.

Hi VP,

by janetinak - 2012-10-26 02:10:45

I have read with interest your posts & te responses. I am glad the nasty stuff has been deleted, We don't need that on top of dealing with a PM. I Googled Pre Existing Conditions & found a lot of info & as has been noted it changes with each state. But the Calif. site states that there it is handled by state until 12/13 when the new Affordable Care Act part for pre existing conditions kicks in. So there is hope for those like yourself that have a problem with insurance, etc for that part of the problem. I guess I would Google the felon part too. It seems to me if you are trying to turn your life around as you seem to be doing you should be treated like everyone else. And I firmly believe if the new act is left to pass we will alll be better for it.

Janet

malfunction

by vphillips - 2012-10-26 02:10:53

Thank you. The changes I have made were tough but well worth it. I really like me now and I think thats the greatest part of it all. I am solo in this. I have no known relatives that I am aware of. It would be nice though.

Thank you TraceyE

by jeanlancour - 2012-10-26 12:10:37

Everyone needs a chance, remember judge not least you be judged. I agree with Smitty go to the ER when your having a problem, If possible a large city ER where there is a teaching hospital, that will give you the best chance to have it taken care of. Good Luck Jean

Now you've done it Smitty

by ElectricFrank - 2012-10-26 12:10:42

Pacers are like Microsoft Operating systems? Now you have even frank terrified.

LOL

frank

Man Moderators are a bunch of liars

by vphillips - 2012-10-27 04:10:42

Why are you so angry? What does that last post even mean?.. I hope you find a reason to smile today!

You know you're wired when...

The meaning of personal computer is taken a step further.

Member Quotes

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.