Medtronic EnRhythm and Minerva Software

Hi there,

Just wondering whether anyone has been fitted with a Medtronic EnRhythm Pacemaker with Minvera software.

If so could people please share their experiences regarding it as I will be fitted with a Biventricular pacemaker with Minerva in 4 weeks time and what to know more from a "patients perspective".

Kind regards,

Daryl

4 Comments

Aren't you special !

by Theknotguy - 2015-11-24 02:11:47

I'm envious! You get the new hardware and software while I have to limp by on the prototype. Ah well, sometimes you're on the leading edge and sometimes the bleeding edge.

On to the technical stuff.... Medtronic brought out APP (Atrial Preference Pacing) somewhere around 2013. I was fortunate enough to get one of the Medtronic pacemakers that has APP.

APP and now the new Minerva hardware/software have to be built into the pacemaker. Originally I thought you could just upload a software program onto an existing Medtronic model but I found out a week ago there is an actual hardware component. So you've either got it or you don't.

With the two wires embedded the pacemaker can sense afib activity. APP was simplex in its approach. It would sense afib, then slightly increase your heart rate to force the heart back into a normal rhythm.

I had my APP turned on at five months with my pacemaker. At the time my EP said he didn't know if it would work or not but it wouldn't hurt to turn it on. Over the course of the next year, APP reduced the intensity of my afib sessions. You could see it on both the graphical printouts and the numerical printouts given by my pacemaker at the review times. APP reduced my afib by a few percentage points. The first time it kicked in it felt like I had three heartbeats going. When my afib kicked in I would have to go to a recliner and spend most of the day being quiet and taking extra medication. With APP I was able to carry on normal light activity.

The new Minerva has a multiplex mode. It can sense changes in afib rhythm and react accordingly. So supposedly as your afib session progresses the Minerva program will change its activity to counteract the corresponding afib activity.

I've been reluctant to talk too much about APP on the forum. If you weren't lucky enough to get the APP model there wasn't too much that could be done other than changes in medication and ablation. So while others were complaining I was sitting here being thankful I was so lucky. While reducing afib sessions by a few percentage points doesn't sound like a lot, when you've gone into afib as much as once a day, anything is a positive help. APP has pushed of needing to have an ablation for two years. I'm happy about that as my EP indicated my afib might not be corrected by ablation.

One caveat. APP and Minerva don't cure afib. They just react to an ongoing afib session. So don't go into this expecting a cure. It's a band aid on a problem albeit a pretty good band aid to have.

I'm one of the very rare individuals who can feel my afib when it kicks in. Hence the comment my first few APP sessions felt like three heartbeats going on. After a year and a half of APP being turned on my heart has "learned" how to react to afib sessions with APP. Now I'll get a "hot flash" feeling because APP has increased my heart rate to counteract the afib.

The last pacemaker report indicated I had 1254 afib sessions lasting less than one minute in the last six months. The good news is I never knew they had happened as APP counteracted them. The bad news was there was an increase in the number of afib sessions from the previous six months. It will be a topic of discussion at my next EP visit.

As I said before, I've envious. You've got the new program with the new hardware. l asked about getting a software update to my pacemaker but the tech said they could only upgrade the simplex program, not change it to the multiplex mode. Ah well.

The next caveat is there is no guarantee Minerva will give you the same results as me. Could be better, could be the same, could be worse. Only time and experience will tell. I want you to be optimistic.

Given the chance would I want APP and it's newest upgrade? Yep, sure would. Also will be reluctant to go away from a Medtronic pacemaker unless there is a good explanation why.

I wish you the best. Please let us know on the forum how things progress.

RE: Aren't you special!

by Meredith76 - 2015-11-25 01:11:36

Hi Theknotguy,

I'm learning that I'm very fortunate to be given such an opportunity to have the Enrhythm pacemaker and the Minerva software fitted into me in a public hospital, these small wins sometimes occur in hospitals in Australia.

I'm impressed by your knowledge on this subject and I'm up to date with it all as well, so it was good to have yourself confirm what I was was learning about this software and how it works.

How I have come about to have this opportunity, is the fact that I'm 39 years old and my cardiologist is reluctant to make me fully pacemaker dependant.

My cardiologist ask me to trial this with him and if it fails well he will perform a AV node ablation and "cutting" of the Bundle of His.The only cost being time.

I figure I should give it a good shot and understand that it is not a cure to Afib but if it can relieve the symptoms to the point I'm able to return to full physical activity, I'm all for it.
If it gives me respite from Afib I am willing to give and put in 100% effort to give it the maximum opportunity for success.

thank you again for taking the time to share your valuable insight. I will keep the forum up to date with my journey and the pathway to success.

Can you tell me, what was the surgery and recovery like? and how did you adapt to having a foreign object visible in your chest and adjusting your lifestyle to cater for a pacemaker?

king regards,

Daryl

Advisa DR MRI SureScan A3DR01

by laupek9 - 2015-11-25 05:11:28

Hi Theknotguy , I am laupek9 . You have commented on my messages before and I admired your immense knowledge on pacemakers. I am fitted the above model by Medtronic. Please enlighten me on my pm. The dr. just said I needed and put in the above pm. It was done on 13/10/2015. Thanks.

Re:ablations

by Bionic Beat - 2015-11-25 06:11:12

Just wanted to say how lucky you are to have a shot at cutting edge pms.
Also, if you reach the point of ablation, please don't be frightened of it.

I had an AV node ablation in 2008 and am doing quite well. My activity level is down due to constant AFib in the upper chambers but life is good.

My only problem is that my pm needs to be removed, got the call yesterday and am a bit unnerved.

You know you're wired when...

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Member Quotes

I have had my pacer since 2005. At first it ruled my life. It took some time to calm down and make the mental adjustment. I had trouble sleeping and I worried a lot about pulling wires. Now I just live my life as I wish.