Medtronic programming history

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by Tracey_E - 2018-03-24 09:07:13

It's great to try to extend the battery life, however if it leaves you feeling bad who cares if it eeks out a few more months of battery life?! They will know what they changed.

battery life vs $$$$$$

by zawodniak2 - 2018-03-24 13:25:03

I doubt if extending  battery life is part of Medtronic's business plan.  They are in business to manufacture and sell devices which save and improve quality of life.

When I got my second pace maker,  the technician proudly boosted that my new one had a battery life of 12.5 years which was what my first interragation indicated  three weeks after implant---wow, Happy! Then six months later It went down to 8 years.  Subsequent interrogations are showing a "DECAY" of  a half a year every six months.  So in two years of use, I lost 6.5 years of battery life!!!

Just sayin--go figure ???

Still not quite as bad as those maddening TV commercials for the "ATOMIC BEAM" flashlight which put out a beam that can be seen two miles away but dim down to two feet after 30 minutes of use.  HA HA!!

I am 99.9% dependent on "Sparky #2" as well as "Sparky #!" which lasted 7 1/2 years.

What my Medtronic pace makers have done for my quality of life (physical anyway) has made me a happy camper.

Battery technology is improving,  resuling in electric vehicles, iphones that last all day on one charge and can be charged wirelessly. I betcha the technology is hidden??? to recharge our devices wirelessly $$$$$$$$.

                   Rodger 

get a printout

by dwelch - 2018-03-29 02:07:00

every visit/test ask for your copy of the report.  I dont expect that the pacer itself stores every prior setting.  but the printout if you save them will be a history.  

surgery has risk, extending the life is more about the number of surgeries you have over your lifetime, checkin gyour profile you are actually born the same year I am.  even at our age we are still young as far as pacer patients go.  i got my first one at 19 years old, so I am just over 30 years in on pacer number 5.  And have always had them talk about the extending the life, but have had some that only lasted 7 years rather than the 10 plus.  the st jude that was supposed to last well over 10 had to come out early to do a bi-ventrical because of a low EF due being paced for so many years.  You have a decade or two before you have to worry about that.

quality of life is a huge factor here as well as just staying alive due to these devices.  Get them to put the settings back or get another doc.  and ask for your copy of the report each time you go in.  I have not had a medtronic for a while now, my first three were medtronic.  I remeber those printouts at the time whould show the before and after what settings you came in with that day and what you went out with and any changes highlighted.  The doc had better have these reports in your file, even if you didnt get copies they should be able to put you back.

Now saying that over time they may need to make adjustments as your body changes over time again based on your profile yours should be well dialed in and you are in that home stretch a few to handful of years to the next replacement.

if they made adjustments because you voiced discomfort in the office, then do some more voicing of discomfort to get them to put it back or make your quality of life better.