Driving License Revoked For 6 Months post ICD fit

My husband had his ICD fitted in the UK earlier this month & was told by the doctor he would not be allowed to drive for one month post fitting, DVLA has now informed him he can not drive for six months & has had his license revoked for six months, pending checks ect!

Does anyone know of any ways this time period can be shortened?

8 Comments

Why?

by golden_snitch - 2013-10-31 01:10:34

Hi Sharon!

Why does he have the ICD then? Atrial fibrillation is not an indication for an ICD, the ICD won't do anything about the Afib. Bradycardia is an indication for a pacemaker only. If your husband hasn't suffered a heart attack, yet, and has not had ventricular tachycardia or a sudden cardiac death experience, I don't see why he got the ICD. Does he have heart failure? Of course, it could be that I'm missing something important that you just did not mention. ICD + betablockers usually indicates that he has had or is at risk for ventricular tachycardia/SCD.

Glad your husband is doing better, though. Hope you get this driving stuff sorted out soon, and that he'll be allowed to drive after just one month.

Inga

Many thanks all

by SharonSzczotka - 2013-10-31 01:10:55

We have been to the follow up clinic today & the consultant has said he will write to the DVLA.

My husband has never had a heart attack & the insertion was as a prevention to any further deterioration leading to a heart attack, so no major high-drama incidents prior.

His symptoms have mainly been bradycardia now paced at 60bpm with a couple of episodes of atrial fibrillation hence an ICD & not a regular pace maker.

This is his first implant except for a reveal device that he had inserted for the last 2 years.

The frustrating thing is he is a very fit man & is now out cycling up to 25 miles a session.

Having the ICD & now beta blockers it is as if he has turned the clock back 5 years with his health & yet is being penalised for getting himself sorted :(, yet we have 4 other friends with far worse heart conditions & all with pacemakers/ICD's that have all driven with no problems with DVLA, one month recovery for them only.

I have looked at the BHF booklet & can see about him being able to drive, & sadly as the DVLA have revoked his licence we have to abide by their rules until such a time as we can either get their decision overturned or the 6 month time period has elapsed.

Hi Inga

by SharonSzczotka - 2013-10-31 02:10:08

My husband had a few episodes of tachycardia maybe half a dozen which they put down to atrial fibrillation but could not give him beta blockers to prevent this as his resting pulse rate back then was 42bpm & when they tried the beta blockers his heart went down to 32bpm which had him keeling over as it was so low & in danger of just stopping :$

My husband had a check in feb this year to see if he could have ablations to stop the atrial flutter, but nothing could be found to ablate.

Oh an the other thing he has is an enlarged heart wall instead of being 12mil its 14mil which they called athletes heart (??) so it was felt that could put him at risk of heart attack.

Between shared care of the Royal Brompton & our local heart unit an ICD was decided upon as the best treatment & preventative measure.

Post op he was told that nodes can now be seen & if the atrial flutter continues & causes problems then he can have ablations now & also that a few years down the line he could be a candidate for a CRTD.

I am sure this all sounds a bit confused sorry about that, lol it is to me also...... this has been going on now for 20+ years for him with test after test, & diagnoses after diagnoses, ( right bundle block, bradycardia, left ventricular hypertrophy & atrial flutter) the order of all the events & his deterioration have now become muddled :$.

Interesting Sequence of Events

by IAN MC - 2013-10-31 03:10:31

Like Inga I am slightly confused as to why he has an ICD
But the Royal Brompton is one of the leading heart hospitals in the UK and they certainly know what they are doing there !

There seem to be two definite schools of thought regarding so-called Athlete's Heart. Some Drs think it is absolutely benign and harmless. Like all muscles, they believe that the heart muscle returns to normal thickness when the causative intensive exercise is reduced. Others believe that it is a pre-cursor for cardiac events in the future; maybe your husband's cardiologist has the second point of view.

At least you can be encouraged that if a true atrial flutter develops, the success rates with a single ablation can be very high ; some Drs claim more than 95 %.

Interestingly I had my atrial flutter cured by an ablation at the Royal Brompton , AND was diagnosed with a slightly enlarged heart wall but I didn't go down the ICD route ..... i have a PM.

Best of luck to your husband

Ian

Hi Sharon !................

by Tattoo Man - 2013-10-31 09:10:24


................now, this is most baffling.

I have in front of me the little booklet published by the British Heart Foundation and I quote:

"You can start driving again one week after having your pacemaker inserted..AS LONG AS..

You have told DVLA about your pacemaker

You don't have any symptoms such as dizziness or fainting which would affect your driving

You continue to have your regular check-ups in the PM Clinic
You have not recently had a heart attack or heart surgery
You do not have any other conditions that would disqualify you from driving "

..........................................................................

Now you say that your Husband has an ICD...this may have differing requirements.

I suggest that you phone the BHF on 020 7554 0000 they have very informed people to answer your questions. You can also call DVLA on 0300 790 6806.

DVLA have a questionnaire that you can download on

www.direct.gov.uk/driverhealth.

Rules can sometimes be confusing so, if you need help ask at your PM/ICD Clinic or your GP Surgery.

You could ask BHF to send you a copy of the little handbook...its what they are there for.

Let us know how you get on.

Good luck.

Tattoo Man-UK

Driving with an ICD

by golden_snitch - 2013-10-31 10:10:45

Hi!

I'm not from the UK, but it's definitely a different story with an ICD. With a pacermaker you have no issues driving. But with an ICD that could suddenly shock you while you are driving, to be banned from driving for six months is kind of a standard regulation. We have this regulation in Germany, too. If you suffer a shock within those six months, the period can be prolonged. It's also an insurance thing. Insurance won't cover for you, if you cause an accident because your ICD shocked you. Also, in Germany, if you are a truck driver or school bus driver or anything like that, you will not be allowed to continue this job when you had an ICD implanted.

Don't know, if under certain circumstances this period can be shortened. Definitely not when you got the ICD because you recently suffered v-tach or sudden cardiac arrest. Probably when you received the ICD as a precaution (some heart attacks survivors who are at high risk for SCD get an ICD)?

I'd so as TM suggested: Call the British Heart Foundation or the Arrhythmia Alliance, they will know what to do.

Best

Inga

Hi Sharon

by IAN MC - 2013-10-31 11:10:02

If you look at the DVLA website there is a section on the restrictions on driving after an ICD implant.

It really does depend on your husband's medical history and why he has an ICD . If he had the implant for "ventricular arrythmias associated with incapacity " then the restriction is 6 months before he can legally drive.

On the other hand if the implant was for " sustained ventricular arrythmias which did NOT cause incapacity " then it is only 1 month restriction after implant. There are also certain medical criteria which need to be met, e.g. his LVEF ( left ventricular ejection fraction ) must be greater than 35 %

So if he did not have any life-threatening high-drama incidents leading up the the implant then your Dr should write to the DVLA and argue the case for him being able to drive after a month, if he was very "incapacitated " though by a cardiac incident then he is stuck with a 6 month ban which is non-negotiable.

These tough rules only apply to his first implant. When the box is replaced the DLA is far more lenient if certain criteria are met,

Best of luck

Ian ( in the UK )

DVLA didn't need to know!

by Cyril - 2013-11-02 04:11:10

Hi Sharon,

I'€™m in the UK too and also have an ICD fitted - after having a sudden cardiac arrest actually whilst driving! I can sympathise with your husband as I know that losing your driving licence for six months is a real pain. If your cardiologist said that the loss of licence was to be for one month, then the ICD must have been fitted because your husband was at risk of having an abnormal heart rhythm - not because he had already had one.

I know it'€™s too late now but DVLA didn'€™t even need to be told about the ICD. Your husband should just have stopped driving for a complete month and informed his insurance company that he now has an ICD and given the reasons why it was fitted. Unfortunately once the DVLA have made their decision it can be a difficult job to get it overturned. It really will be down to the Consultant to liaise with DVLA and try and convince them that your husband is fit to drive.

Ian has given you some good information, I hope it helps!

Good luck,

Cyril.

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