.png)
Replacement
- by rogers
- 2013-02-25 11:02:03
- Batteries & Leads
- 1508 views
- 2 comments
I have just been told that I need a battery replacement Some people have the same one for years and years. Why has mine run out already?(implanted 2009)
I am a senior, is using weights at my chair exercises dangerous?
2 Comments
You know you're wired when...
Bad hair days can be blamed on your device shorting out.
Member Quotes
Sometimes a device must be tuned a few times before it is right. My cardiologist said it is like fine tuning a car.
Battery life
by golden_snitch - 2013-02-25 12:02:09
Hi Rogers!
There are several parameters that can affect battery life:
1. Thresholds and programmed voltage: Basically that is how much energy your pacemaker needs to stimulate your heart effectively. A high voltage is sometimes needed due to scar tissue around the tip of the pacemaker lead. If that's the case, the battery is drained faster than with a lower voltage.
2. Leads: If there is an insulation damage or lead fracture, more energy is needed to stimulate the heart. Broken leads can drain the battery in no time. You can see if there is something wrong with the leads when you look at the lead "impedance", and sometimes when a lead is fractured, you can see that on a chest x-ray.
3. Pacing percentage: Some people only need the pacemaker to kick in every now and then, others have up to 100% pacing in the atrium or ventricle, and some have up to 100% in both the atrium and ventricle. The more the pacer has to work, the sooner the battery will deplete.
4. If you have a defibrillator that prevents you from suffering sudden cardiac arrest, and if it already has shocked you several times, then it's perfectly normal that the battery doesn't last long. The defibrillator needs a lot of energy to deliver these shocks, so that it sometimes takes only a couple of shocks until the battery runs low.
If point 1 or 2 are the reason why your battery has not lasted longer, you might need new leads because otherwise the same will happen to the next pacemaker. I'd ask your cardio what he thinks why your battery has not lasted longer, and then take it from there. If he says it's because you need a high output (voltage) or because there is a problem with a lead, you should discuss replacing the lead with him.
Hope this helps.
Inga