lead replacement looming

I'm new to the club and glad I found it. Lots of good info here.
Wondering how to find the right Dr to replace leads.
My second device was implanted 2/2011. last check up revealed that the leads are too deep in the muscle and are draining the battery life quickly. 60% used in 16 months. funny thing is, my Dr doesn't do math like I do. After he told me I still had 40% battery life left, he said, see you in a year. I said, hey Doc, don't you think we should check this out a little sooner? I'm thinking I used 60% in 16 months, shouldn't the battery be running on fumes in 12 more months. (-: Anyway, most likely leads will be replaced this time around. Heck, I'm not even sure how they do it.
Back to original Q...how to locate a good Dr for lead replacement?

2 Comments

leads`

by Tracey_E - 2012-11-08 09:11:31

Well, first though is NOT this dr lol. It's not a huge deal to change out leads, but you need to be checked more often than once a year.

You want an electrophysiologist, not a regular cardiologist. EP's do pm's all day long so they are much more specialized. The first thing to do is find out if it's both leads or just one. If it's both, you probably have to extract and start fresh. If it's just one, they can do a venogram to see if there's enough room to add a third lead on top of what you have. That's the simplest solution, just add another, and in that case any ep should be fine. If you need to extract, you want someone who specializes and does at least 100 extractions a year. If you post where you are, you may find someone here who knows someone. Or ask the ep for a referral. When I was facing this a few years ago, I asked my St Judes rep since he dealt with it more often than my dr.

leads

by daisy41763@yahoo.com - 2012-11-25 02:11:54

I researched the dr that my hospital group recommended and ask call the offices and ask questions!!
I live in WV and I Googled my ep doc for info on where he practiced and how many cases he has done. I need a new llead too. Wednesday my big day for all this!!! Good luck!!

You know you're wired when...

You have the perfect reason to show off your chest.

Member Quotes

My pacemaker was installed in 1998 and I have not felt better. The mental part is the toughest.