Setting for Surgery

I just visited doctors to be involved in an upcoming surgery, including the anesthesiology dept. The doctors are planning on putting a magnet on me. I have a Boston Scientific MRI compatible pacemaker set at 60 beats minimum. During the test MRI my EP techs set my pacemaker at 70 bpm, which was fine. They told me yesterday that the magnet would automatically put any pacemaker at 100 beats per minute.

Since my surgery is expected to last about 3 hours with several procedures one right after the other (YUK!), that seems like a lot of rapid heartbeats for a person (me) whose body is used to 60. Whenever they use electrocautery, I understand that it negates the beats that would have occurred at the same time the electric cautery is applied. I asked if my EP team couldn't set my pacemaker at 70 or 80 for the surgery, instead of 100. I don't think anyone wanted to go to that much trouble.Comments on this, please!

5 Comments

EP team

by Alma Annie - 2014-06-20 07:06:36

I really don't know enough to comment. However, if the team decide that 70-80 is not the right thing to do, then you should accept that. They will adjust it again afterwards. I am sure they know what they are doing, and anyway you will be under anaesthetic so won't know how fast your heart is going.
Just be guided by them. All the best for the surgery, and please let us know how you went after the event.
Alma Annie.

Magnet

by flutetooter - 2014-06-20 09:06:40

My understand is that the magnet is to be put on by the anesthesiologist, NOT my EP team. My EP team will be at the hospital as usual, however, and can be called if necessary. You are SO right that I will be out of it, and not feel anything, which is why I want to try to make sure now that things will go right. Thank you for asking, and I'm sure I will post here the day after, assuming that I am home .

Follow up on belly busting

by donr - 2014-06-21 08:06:35

Toot: Well, I'm back from my hernia repair job. The surgeon was all I said he was in my comments to you back on 10 May. A real jewel. He took photos of the inside of the job as he did it & showed them to me post op to explain how he did it.

He cut a hunk of screen out of his back door about 14" in diameter & went in & tacked it to the back side of my abdominal wall w/ a bunch of wire fence staples he bought from Home Depot (He DID sterilize them first). Then sewed me back up. No electrocautery. No problems w/ the PM because of it.

I have a Medtronic PM - you have a BS-G. They apparently are significantly different when the magnet is applied. Mine goes to 85 BPM - you said yours goes to 100. That is a mite fast for someone asleep, where you usually coast along at about 60 BPM.

Go here & read about PM's & electrocautery:

http://www.cardiacengineering.com/pacemakers-wallace.pdf

Wallace explains it all. As I said - you want to be sure that your settings are checked post Op. Ask the anesthesiologist specifically what his/her experience levels are w/ PM's & hoe they take care of electrocautery issues. The real thing to learn is what does YOUR PM do when a magnet is applied & what does YOUR PM's Mfgr advise for a long surgery?

Don

Personally, I don't think it's as simple as your EP team says. Wallace leads me to believe differently.

To donr et al

by flutetooter - 2014-06-22 01:06:06

Thanks. I went back to May 10 and reread your comments. Now I am 2 1/2 weeks away from surgery day, and am trying to keep very busy with gardening and help cooking on a grandson's graduation party. This will be the biggest surgery of my life for me, but it is mostly a bunch of little procedures all thrown into one. I haven't read your link yet, but thought I'd reply while you are still on line. Yes, 100 seems very fast to me, especially for three hours. 60 is my base, and it seems fine. 70-80 would still be comfortable. I am on good terms with the "Senior Research Project Professional" for my Samuri MRI study, so I will contact him again. He rang my home doorbell last Sat. to say hi while on a 100 mile bike ride. Good to have friends in the hospital setting.

My inguinal hernia repair has only a small patch of mesh planned, but I did watch lots of YouTube videos and on laparoscopy one it is about 10"x15". The electrocautery was mostly on the other stuff.

I have several "artistic/creative" spoofs planned for humor and my "sanity." I'm putting a piece of clear duct tape with permanent ink on it across my lower belly saying "Please do not remove anything above the belly button or below the knees." I know this will get no further than the set-up nurses, but somebody may get a laugh.

The second spoof project is a mock " Dr. xxxx,Interior Design Firm,Inc. Project Specification Form:
Proposal for Flutetooter Project, July 8, 2014
1.Remove overstuffed sofa and probably small end tables, and add small modern hammock
2. Install suspended ceiling
3. Repair damaged walls; grass cloth wallpaper if desired
4. Modernize plumbing
Outside Contractor: Patch & Rebuild Hole in retaining wall
Optional Contractor: Landscaping (This last comment by my Project Professional)

pacemakers-wallace

by flutetooter - 2014-06-22 06:06:30

Finished this last night. Am sending the link to another pacemaker friend who is worried about the same thing. Why do surgeons think they are experts in the pacemaker field, also? Scary!

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