I'm having a bettery replaced HELP

I'm going for pre-op and register on Monday and I'm due for the replacement on Wednesday 2/3. I had open heart surgery in 2005 giving me a new aortic, mitral, (Porcine) repaired tri-cusped and a double by-pass. ... I don't know what to expect as my leads are metronic (so I just found out), but my battery is BIOTRONIC and is only done at the Delray Hospital (in Delray Beach, Florida). I am nervous as I don't know what to expect. I have a radio frequency, dual channel pacemaker, paced at 80 and they weren't clear as to the procedure, length of time of the surgery as I have to be at hospital at 11:00am, scheduled for noon. I'm left handed, recovering from an auto accident and am not in the best of shape as I'm still getting physical therapy. My pacemaker is on my left side, which I now heard that it should be on the opposite side of my dominant hand. My left hand is still injured. How will this affect my recovery, how long is the surgery and how is it done? Lidocane, a local, a twilight? Please advise. Thank you. Marilyn1957

3 Comments

hello

by Tracey_E - 2014-01-28 03:01:03

Compared to what you've been through already, this is nothing! I'm on my 4th now, replacements are a piece of cake. Do your leads need replaced? Leads are universal so it doesn't matter if you mix brands. Unless you need a new lead because the old ones aren't working or there are complications, it takes about 15 minutes. It's usually done with a local or twilight.

If they are only replacing the battery, you won't have any restrictions other than the incision healing. Most of the lifting and movement restrictions the first time were due to the new leads so they don't apply this time.

Once you heal, it doesn't matter which side it's on.

p.s. I'm in Jupiter *waving*

They keep the heart working

by Theknotguy - 2014-01-28 03:01:17

First, they keep the heart working. So if you're pacing 100% they'll make sure you have a temporary pacemaker before replacing the old. That's one thing to keep in mind.

Leads are interchangeable. PM manufacturers got together on that. So they can take the leads out of the current PM and use on new. As long as leads are good, no need to go into the trouble of replacement.

Procedure and time depends upon doctor, hospital, staffing. Length of time depends upon doctor and any problems / non-problems you have. I'll let others who have had procedure recently chime in on that. Maximum time I've heard on the switch out is four hours. But that's rare. Like I said, I'll let others chime in on that.

Type of drug depends on you and your doctor. Because of slow heart rhythm, they don't want to use any sedative on me. So twilight drugs are OK for me, others not. You'd have to talk with your doctor on what drugs he'd like to use on you. As long as they put me in la-la land I don't care.

PM insertion shouldn't affect healing of your left hand. But it's something I'd tell them before going in. I don't know what drugs you are on for the healing of the hand, but they'll want to know that before you go in. Shouldn't be any interactions but if you tell them, they're aware.

I'm ambidextrous. So they had a hard time deciding which side the PM would be on. About all I've had to give up because the PM is on my left side is large caliber rifle shooting. But I haven't done that for 30 years so I don't miss it. Point is, the side the PM is on shouldn't make too much of a difference especially since your leads have been in place for more than 90 days.

Physical therapy on the left arm. Depends upon what you're doing. You will probably back off for a few weeks until things heal. I'd talk to the cardiologist and PT people to get everyone on the same track. If the heart isn't working, there's no point in having PT on the arm.

Hope you're looking forward to getting a new PM. Hope everything goes well.

Theknotguy

Wow - How Long is a ...

by donr - 2014-01-28 03:01:22

...piece of string? Well, here goes, I'll try to untangle it & measure it for you. In order - I hope:

Tracey posted while I was writing.

1) You should be well recovered from the open heart surgery, & I see from your Bio that you had the first PM implanted in 2007, a paltry 2 yrs post-op from the open heart. Other than being 79 now, that stuff is so far in the past that it's a "Not to worry" thing. So you have one decent benchmark for this surgery - how was the recovery from the original implant job? All things being equal, I'd hazard a guess & bet everything I own (except my mortgage money) that this one will be similar OR LESS bothersome. Hey - you'll be an old hand at it.

2) Leads & PM different Mfgrs. Not a big deal at all. They've worked this long, so they will work w/ the NEXT PM you get. You said your BATTERY is Biotronic. A misnomer - the ENTIRE PM, battery & all is Biotronic. The battery is sealed inside the can that holds the PM. You get a whole new PM. BTW: ask them to save the old PM & give it to you. Take it home & stick it on the mantel over your fireplace so you can admire it & show it to friends. It's YOURS, you bought & paid for it!

3) Dunno what you mean by a "Radio Frequency " PM, unless it is capable of passing & accepting RF telemetry signals for downloading data from its memory & being reprogrammed via the same RF channel. Makes no difference. If that's what the old one is, that's what the new one will be. Again - No Sweat.

4) Dual Chamber - most PM's are that today. Justmeans that it has two leads going from it to your heart. One comnnects to the Atria (upper chambers ) & the other connects to the Ventricles (lower chambers). Common as grass!

If it goes as it should go - takes less than an hour. They'll slit open the old scar line, take out the old PM, check the leads to make sure they are still good, place the new PM into the pocket where the old one was &switch over the leads from old to new. The switching of leads takes but a few seconds. Then they sew you up. shut off any anesthetic you were given & wake you up.

5) Hmmm - the left hand caper. Well, how did you get along the last 6-7 yrs w/ the pm on the same side as your dominant hand? OK, I assume. There is no law that requires the PM be on the opposite side. It's just done for convenience. If you don't plan on going Elephant hunting & using a big rifle you tuck into the left shoulder, it'll make no difference. W/ the left hand out of fiul action, that makes no difference either - you'll be using the right hand more.

The left hand business should make no differenc eat all.

6) Anesthesia: MOST LIKELY: Propofol for twilight sedation. A light dose, just enough to make you NOT Care what happens. A local in the operation site, perhaps Fentynal, a synthetic opioid. It is detoxified rather quickly by the body, so you don't feel groggy for long.

Hope this helps some.

Don

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