Anyone have their pacemaker removed?

Pacemaker removed?

by Yeasin - 2017-01-23 12:31:47

I never heard about removing a pacemaker. Let us hope that u get a response! 

Yes, it had been pacing

by valley01 - 2017-01-23 12:53:21

Angry Sparrow, yes, it had been pacing Atria 86%. I asked him about that and he said it was pacing because that is what they programmed it to do (they set my low limit to 60 when my natural heart rate before the ablation had always been 45-55). He was hoping I wouldn't notice any affects of him turning it off and quite honestly I have not. My current EP is not the EP that put my PM in - he was not on duty when I showed up in the ER that day. He told me at my 2 week post PM follow up that he wouldn't have done it so he's been against me having it from the beginning. But he just said "Well now that you have it, you have it, and it won't be coming out." That was 3 years ago. Now he wants to take it out. That is why I am confused. I guess personally I would like it out if it's not medically necessary but I have never heard of them removing pacemakers after implantation. 

Why?

by Gotrhythm - 2017-01-23 14:43:40

I would ask why. What are the benefits of removing it vs the risks of keeping it. I'd also want to know the benefits of keeping it. 

Strictly my opinion, but if it is doing no harm, I'd keep it. Nobody needs a pacemaker--until they do. When you do, it can be an emergency. You have already had rythm issues. Who knows what else might cause rythm problems to show up? At least if they did, you'd already have a PM in place that could be turned on.

For sure I would want a second opinion before I had it removed.

removal

by Tracey_E - 2017-01-23 19:47:03

Without getting into whether leaving it or taking it out is a good idea, right now it is fairly easy to get out because it hasn't been in that long. Ten years from now it would be a different story, much more complicated. So, if you'd had it ten or twenty years I'd say leave it alone for sure. Tough call.

You are very fortunate!! Very very few conditions that lead to pacing correct themselves. If there's very little chance of needing it down the road, you might want to get it out now while it's still easy. The longer you wait, the more you might want to just leave it alone. Or if there's any chance of needing it again, don't mess with it. It doesn't hurt anything being in there.

Yes!

by valley01 - 2017-01-24 07:41:48

Tracey - yes, his whole reason for wanting to remove it now is because it will be easy. I know I got my pacemaker initially for the wrong reasons. Normally the heart arrythmia I had would have been treated with medication but because of my uncontrollable high blood pressure and the barrage of medications I was already on (and not knowing if/when they would ever figure out what was wrong with me) the EP on call in the ER that night felt a pacemaker was my best option. I know I am very fortunate. Most people with Conn's Disease take 7-10 years to be diagnosed. I was less than 2 years and the first 1.5 years was with a doctor that was only treating the symptoms by throwing more and more medications at it and not trying to find the root cause. I switched Primary Care doctors, was immediately referred to Endocrinology, tested, diagnosed, and cured within 6 months.

These are all great comments - thank you! I definitely have more questions I want answered before I just let him remove it.

Pacemaker removed, was a misdiagnosis

by Starcrost - 2021-04-16 22:07:07

My pacemaker and heart monitor were both completely removed after 10 months due to them being the result of a misdiagnosis. I had been diagnosed with Bradycardia for syncopy episodes. when I was referred to this doctor to be evaluated for Vasovagal syncope. He bypassed that and determined that I needed a pacemaker. After a year of fighting it I gave in.

My health got worse and after 3 months and a 2nd 3rd and 4th Electrophysiologists opinion, I was told that yes I did indeed have vasovagal syncope and the pacemaker could do nothing to treat that. It was completely removed. We thought that was bad enough but the real shocker and reason I wasn't recovering was that doctor had also left a broken surgical instrument tangled through the chambers of my heart. It was a 46 inch,  thin surgical steel wire broken off the J Guide wire tool.

Another surgery was required to remove that and repair the damage to my heart wall after cutting it out of several places and a ring angioplasty on my tricuspid valve that was shredded by the wire. I still have 3 inches of it embeded into my renal vein next to my right kidney. It cannot be removed. My case reads like a how to really screw up story. Nothing about it is the norm or is likely even to happen to anyone else who reads about it. I'm just a cautionary tale now I guess.

Despite fears I wouldn't, I survived the experience and sucessfully sued the doctor. Life goes on, much more skeptical about doctors and medical needs in general but very lucky to still be here and alive to talk about it.