concerned! / Help!

Hi everyone.My name is Eazyrider and Im new to the club. After reading some of the posts Im really concerned about my PM getting put in at the end of FEB 2016.I have all the faith in the world when it comes to my doctor who is installing the PM but my concern is the leads and PM itself.Im a bigger guy and not very active.I guess what I want to know is what is the best PM and install procedure I should get.Do they make a pacemaker that can be charged with-out replacing like the new cell phones?.Is there an app I can monitor my PM? and do they make a wireless PM with out the leads that implants right into your heart.In all honesty..IM scared!..any input would really put my mind at eaze..thank you..EZ

3 Comments

Concerned

by Good Dog - 2016-01-06 01:01:25

I understand your concern. However, you should realize that this is a very low risk procedure. You will be fine.
There is one leadless pacemaker out there, but it is only for single chamber use. You need to ask your doctor about it. Other than that, there are several major PM manufacturers that are all very good. These are things you should discuss with your doc. You really should insist that he take a few minutes to discuss your options before undergoing the procedure.
As far as monitoring; there are several options for that. Just keep in mind that PM's these days are extremely reliable and rugged. So unless you have some special needs, daily monitoring is not necessary. The whole point of a PM is to allow you to live a perfectly normal life, which means forgetting that you have one. I have lived 30 years with mine and my life has been completely normal in every way. On a daily basis I never think about it. Furthest thing from my mind. Unless there are complications (which are rare), most folks have their PM monitored once every 3 to 6 months and 99% of the time it is uneventful.
So your concerns are legitimate and normal, but rest assured that you will look back and wonder what you were so scared about. You will feel better and find the result to be very gratifying.
Wishing you the best!

David

EZ

by zawodniak2 - 2016-01-06 01:01:37

You say you have all the faith in the world in your doctor?? Why?? Is he an electrophysiologist or a general cardiologist? How many pace makers has he implanted?? What is his record and the hospital's record on infection rates? Personally I would stay away from the new, cutting edge technology and go with the tried and proven . I would have the implant done at a major hospital which does at least 100 P.M. procedures per year and I would have an electrophysiologist do the procedure. I understand your concern and anxiety, but this is a routine procedure as far as heart procedures go. They usually keep you over night for liability purposes and I have heard of some folks going home the same day. Everything is going to be fine and depending on your current symptoms you will be glad you got the pace maker. Let us know how you made out.
Rodger

overthinking...

by Tracey_E - 2016-01-06 01:01:51

It's normal to be nervous but maybe it's time to take a step back from the computer and stop reading so much. Something to keep in mind, complications happen less than 1% of the time. What happens to that 1%? They come here to ask questions, so it makes it appear complications happen a lot more frequently than they actually do.

You don't need an app to monitor the pm, and try not to get in the habit of checking your pulse constantly. It'll make you crazy! The pm is a high tech computer, much more dependable than our hearts. You can trust it to do its job. If you feel good, trust that it's working as it should. Most of us find that as we heal and get back to our lives that we can forget it's there. I've been paced every beat for more than 20 years. I'm healthy and active, and I can guarantee no one looks at me and sees a heart patient.

They are working on one that can be charged from our movements but it's a long way from testing. They have to be changed out when the battery goes. I'm about to get my 5th, trust me when I say it's no big deal.

There are a few leadless ones but they are very very new, not many places can monitor them, and they are very limited in what they can do. And they put them inside the heart.

Everything will be ok!!!!! If you want to read posts here, stick to the ones of hiking, running races, traveling the world. Try to see this as an opportunity to get your energy back. It can be a blessing.

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Member Quotes

I just want to share about the quality of life after my pacemaker, and hopefully increase awareness that lifestyles do not have to be drastically modified just because we are pacemaker recipients.