Battery end of Life

I have had 2 dual chamber pacemakers that the battery has run down and had new pacemakers implanted. I have a 3rd degree AV block and when the pacemaker switch mode to end of life mode, I really suffer badly. The last time i fainted and fell on the floor. They took me to the emergency room at the hospital and implanted the new pacer. My question is why do they make you wait until the pacer changes mode before replacing them.

10 Comments

Insurance company

by johnb10000 - 2009-08-18 07:08:08

The insurance company hopes you miss a couple of premium payments then they can cancel the policy before the replacement is needed.

They also hope you change jobs and the new job has different insurance companies in the medical benefits.

If you drop dead they won't have to pay the cost of a replacement.

If anyone of these things happens the CEO probably gets a bonus for saving money.

depends

by Tracey_E - 2009-08-18 08:08:06

They don't always make you wait, it depends on your insurance. I've had three replacements and never gone into EOL mode. My insurance co doesn't require me to wait that long so my doctor makes sure it never happens. I switch to monthly checks the last three months and get it done well before it has to be done. Next time, I would discuss it with your doctor in advance and get him to help you find a way to get it done early. I would think hurting yourself by fainting would qualify.

battery life

by bigred63 - 2009-08-18 08:08:08

I had my battery changed for the first time in 2007. I had a phone check 2 days prior and they said all was OK. Well 2 days after my heart almost felt like it was raceing and I felt like the wicked witch of the west (when she was melting) I called the doc. right away they brought me in an told med I was on safe mode. (I am pacemaker dependent) so I felt horrible. They told me at the doctors office I could wait another 2 weeks to have my battery changed, That was on a Thursday, I insisted on ASAP, so Monday I was in having my battery changed. I don't understand, there was no way I could feel the way I did for another 2 weeks. my heart rate was at 60. Gotta luv those ins. companies!!

That 's just not right.....

by maryanne - 2009-08-19 01:08:27

I am so sorry to hear you experienced what you did....here is Canada I can tell you that would never happen....why.....because we do not have private health insurance that dictates when and where you can have your PM changed.

In Canada when you go in for your PM check and if it shows that your PM needs replacing it's replaced generaly within the month or sooner if necessary. There is NO letting the PM battery just fail....

Some may say that Canadian healthcare system is substandard, which I would beg to differ, but at least in our health care system if your PM needs to be changed I can assure you would that it would be and not at the whim of the HMO..that is just shameful. For some reason in the American system governements have tried to convince the average public that having a publicly funded health care system is "Communist" and that is just wrong. Health care should be availabe to all not just those who can afford it. There are over 44 million Americans who don't have access to healthcare....that is just wrong. Healthcare should and must be made available to all. Shame on a country who has the highest number of wealthiest individuals in the world and yet has so many individual going without any access to health care.

What happend to you is NOT acceptable..and I would call your HMO to task....SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!!!

I hope you did not suffer any longer term effects from what you experienced.

Good health to you and all the very best......Mary Anne

NOT ACCEPTABLE

by pete - 2009-08-19 02:08:26

Absolute disgrace. Shameful, disgusting. A pacemaker should never ever be allowed to get into End of Life Mode before replacement. By doing that they are threatening your life. I would kick up one hell of a stink over it so that they get frightened of you and never ever let it happen again. Cheers Peter

EOL

by Tracey_E - 2009-08-19 06:08:54

It's possible the insurance is the cause, but before anyone else goes on a rampage about insurance, know that it could be the doctor waited on purpose as many do, it could be that she waited too long to be checked, it could be that the tech who read the report didn't call it to anyone's attention. We don't know why she was allowed to go into EOL.

Your life is not at risk in EOL!!! The pm just has limited function. Your heart rate will never go below your minimum rate until the battery is completely dead, which happens about three months after it goes into EOL. EOL is uncomfortable and inconvenient, but it is not deadly.

And guess what? We DO have medical coverage for seniors here already, it's called Medicare, and it requires letting the pm going to EOL before replacing it. It's the private insurance that is more likely to allow you to get it replaced whenever you want. I've had three replacements, each under a different insurance company, and none of them gave me a hard time about when I had it done, and I always have it done early. Most insurance co's do not require EOL before replacement. And most of us will lose our private insurance if the proposed law passes.

As Frank said, we are our own best advocate. I know that my battery has 9-18 mos left, and I've already discussed replacement with my doctor. I like and trust my doctor, but no one is going to look after my needs better than ME.

BATTERY CHECK

by donb - 2009-08-19 10:08:34

Guess it's time to ask what's been on my mind for 17 years, 1month. Why does every patient have a battery check at differant time periods depending not on actual battery usage but whatever the installing Cardiologist prescribes?? I'm on my 4th PM since July 1992 and have pnone checks every other month for the first 5 years, then monthly. Only on my second PM did I not get a permant magnet mode change on the phone check as I was out of state at the time. Even then, the PM was replaced within 2 weeks. Guess the real factor always gets down to the buck. As long as insurance covers, go for the bucks.

EOL and Insurance....

by maryanne - 2009-08-19 10:08:42

Fair enough to say it isn't always insurance companies to blame for EOL....The question that really needs to be asked is WHY is anyone put at risk.....Sailor mentions that they were symptomatic....why should anyone have to wait to become symptomatic when a PM is in EOL mode? Why should anyone's life or quality of life be jepordized? Tracy you do ask some good questions....EOL modes should immidately be brought to the attention of the attending physician.... so to say the technician might not have reported it is a HUGE error in judgement and could have cost Sailor their life.

I would beg to differ with Tracy's comment that "your life is not at risk" in Sailors case it most certainly was....they blacked out...they could of hit their head and caused a brain hemmorhage, or even let's say they were driving and caused a motor vehicle accident because they blacked out.....or what if they were carrying a small child and because they blacked out they dropped the child....so to say your life or someone elses life is not at risk in my opinion is erroneous.

I can remember when I got my PM one of the first things the doctor said to me when he was trying to explain the importance of the PM.....he said I had to think about what if I blacked out and I was carrying for my children what then.....

Let me just say this.....there is something wrong with a Healthcare system that would let any of these scenarios happen.

Tracy you would also be right to say that we have to been our own best advocate.....but when an idividual doesn't know what is acceptable and what to expect it is up to the healthcare professionals to step up to the plate and provide guidance.

cheers, Mary Anne

Don't put up with it

by ElectricFrank - 2009-08-19 12:08:53

Get copies of your checkup reports so you can monitor battery life yourself. When it gets down to the 6 month point start making a lot of noise. I'm down to about a year and have already started talking about it with the cardio. I let them know that it isn't going to be a good thing if I am camping alone in the desert or hiking some mountain trail when it quits.

It's also a good idea to write the doc a letter stating that you have already experienced fainting from running out of battery.

good luck,

frank

EOL or ERT

by ElectricFrank - 2009-08-20 11:08:39

There is a good article by Boston Scientific at:

http://www.bostonscientific.com/templatedata/imports/HTML/
CRM/A_Closer_Look/pdfs/ACL_Evaluating_Battery_Status_102408.pdf

EOL is a dangerous condition where the pacemaker cannot be relied upon to function properly and should never be allowed to continue.

ERT is the elective replacement mode where all unnecessary features are turned off.

This is Boston Scientific’s criteria and may be different for other makes.

So if Sailor’s pacer was allowed to enter EOL on two occasions in a patient with 3rd degree AV block it is very likely a case of negligence on either the doctor or insurance companies part. Neither have a spectacular record.

frank

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