Off to Russia - Need a simple letter explaining I have a pacemaker

Pacemaker ID card

by LondonAndy - 2018-06-04 17:40:45

You should have been issued with a pacemaker identity card when you got your device inserted.  Definitely take that, and perhaps take a small card with the word 'pacemaker' written in Russian (электрокардиостимулятор) in a decent size font to show if needed.

However, personally I don't bother telling security staff I have one, and just go through the security arch like everyone else.  And I am 100% pacemaker dependent, though I do always take my ID card just in case (but have never been asked for it, admittedly only travelling through European airports).  Modern devices are very well shielded, and when I did say I had a pacemaker at a conference with temporary security, the guard waved his hand-held detector over my device anyway!  You will find a number of other posts on this issue if you use the word 'airport' in the search function.

A Sugggestion

by IAN MC - 2018-06-04 17:45:12

Hello Adinnin.   I see that like me you live in the UK and have a Medtronic Pacemaker.

I had to travel to China after getting a pacemaker so I rung the Medtronic head office in Watford with a similar query ( Tel no 01923 212213 ). They kindly sent me a plasticised card with the caption " My device May Trigger Metal detectors" together with a self-explanatory illustration of someone walking through a detector. The card also makes it self-evident that you have a pacemaker.

The same message is on the back of the card in French,German, Italian , Spanish and Chinese. Out of curiosity I have just looked at Google translate and in Russian the statement is :-

MOYE USTROYSTVO MOZHET ZAPUSKAT' METALLICHESKIYE DETECTORY "

I guess you could get by with one of these cards together with the above sentence typed out but if I were you, i would ring Medtronic. I'm sure you're not the first PM recipient to travel to Russia ( I hope it is safer than Salisbury ! )

Best of luck, and have a good time

Ian

P.S.

by IAN MC - 2018-06-04 17:49:39

My reply crossed in the post with Andy's . You now have 2 Russian versions !

Ian

reply

by adinnin - 2018-06-04 18:07:28

Thanks to you both !! 

So Andy.. do you walk through the Metal detector arch thingy ?? I thought it interfered with your PM ??

Thanks Ian, I'll call Medtronic tomorrow and try and get something from them.  I go on Sunday so hopefully they can email me something.

Cheers

Alex

Yes, I walk through

by LondonAndy - 2018-06-04 18:38:20

Sorry, thought i said that.  And personally I think it safer than the risk of a hand-held device getting too close by an inexperienced security guard.  Once I did triger the arch alarm, but (a) no problem for my device, a Medtronic fitted in 2014 in London, and (b) they then asked me to go into one of those new booths where you hold up your arms and they do some sort of 3D image of your body.  Again these are pacemaker safe.

And the universal hand signal for "pacemaker" seems to be pointing your index figure at where it is, and moving said finger backwards and forwards a couple of times.  As I said, I have never been asked to show my ID, but I always go prepared and carry it with me.