Surgery while wearing a pacer

I am having minor below the belt surgery contemplated in the near future. The daoctor says that they will just place a magnet over the pacer and that will stop it until the surgery is finished. Then they remove the magnet and the pacer is supposed to start up agin on its own. Has anyone out there ever heard of this?
Thanks
Ken

6 Comments

PM Magnet & Surgery

by SMITTY - 2010-11-03 01:11:57

Hi Ken,

(I see Tracey has already answered your question, but
since I had written mine earlier and didn't get it posted you will now get it anyway.)

I'm always hesitant to contradict a Dr but I think your's may have given you incomplete info about the magnet that will be used on your PM during surgery.

A magnet is placed over your PM during every PM checkup. It does not stop the PM, but places it in what is called a "magnet mode." This means your pacemaker is no longer an on demand device, because the magnet makes your heart beat at a constant and predetermined rate. If you have had a PM checkup in the past you may have felt this change in PM operation. For me it feels like an irregular heart beat for a few seconds and then I notice no difference. When the magnet is removed your PM will return to doing what it was doing before the magnet was put in place.

This is one phase of your upcoming surgery I don't think you need to give another thought, as it is a standard procedure during surgery, especially when electrical devices such as cauterizes are used. While a cauterizer will not stop your PM, it may interfere with the PM settings and you could have an irregular heart beat. With the magnet in place this will not happen.

Good luck,

Smitty

more

by Tracey_E - 2010-11-03 03:11:11

I'll add on to Smitty... check with your pm manufacturer also. My pm is new, it was replaced less than a year ago. I am looking at shock wave therapy to kill a heel spur. My cardiologist's first response was to monitor the pm and put it in the magnet mode for the procedure. We double checked with the St Judes rep and he said that it's well shielded enough that it's not necessary. It's probably still necessary if you're having anesthesia, but some things that used to cause problems no longer do.

gadget

by Tracey_E - 2010-11-03 05:11:03

They probably don't have it but it's portable and the rep can bring it. They will usually call in the pm rep anyway to be there so you're monitored.

Thanks

by kennyg - 2010-11-03 05:11:57

Many thanks for the comments. I feel better already. I do not believe that the small hospital I'm going to will have the gadget cardio's use to read the info from the pacer. I'm thinking just a magnet laying over the pacer, no wires connected, etc. Is that what you all agree on?
again, thanks for the comments.
Ken

perfectly normal

by Tracey_E - 2010-11-03 11:11:08

They aren't actually turning it off, they're putting it into a mode with limited function just like when they test it. As soon as they remove the device, the pm goes back to normal function. Easy!

Magnet

by hmsb - 2011-05-13 06:05:40

Can a large magnet turn off a pacemaker?

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