info about abandoned leads URL

Tracey-your opinion??

by zawodniak2 - 2018-07-30 13:15:05

Tracey,

Based on your actual experience, what are your thoughts on this article??🛏🚑

         Rodger 

hmmmm

by Tracey_E - 2018-07-30 13:59:04

I haven't had a chance to read the article yet but 1) I don't know of any other members paced long term like me that don't have abandoned leads and 2) I don't recall anyone posting any problems related to them and 3) my own experience is zero problems and I'm for sure not messing with them if I don't have to. I'm more concerned with the risks of taking them out than leaving them in. My chest xray resembles a bowl of spaghetti. 

Ok, off to read the article. 

risks

by Tracey_E - 2018-07-30 14:18:56

If we get an infection, it all has to come out. Patch has been through that so I'd be interested in his opinion. I did not get the sense from the article that having old leads makes us any more suseptible to infection than not having them. Any time we have a metal implant, our risks are high if we get an infection.

Taking them out has its own risks, plus any surgery has infection risk so I don't see why I'd want to have a risky surgery with a risk of infection in order to lower my risk of infection? Maybe I'm missing something but I'm still going to have enough metal in me to make an infection scary.

It might be different on people with newer old leads that come out a lot more easily than someone like me with very old leads. Mine were already in tight when the technology became available to get them out so it is going to be complicated whenever it happens, be it now or in two or twenty years so waiting won't make it worse in my case. 

Lead removal

by zawodniak2 - 2018-07-30 15:54:39

Thanx Tracey,

That was a very sobering analysis. My two leads have been in for 11 years and so far so good but nothing lasts forever

At 76 and in good health I hopefully will outlive the leads. If Lead removal ever becomes mandatory I know based on your prior comments to seek out an EP who does at least 100 extractions per year and to have the right surgeons standing guard. 

      Rodger

risk

by Tracey_E - 2018-07-30 16:37:34

Not sure if I was clear, I was saying that IF we get an infection it's risky because it escalates quickly and all the metal has to come out. The odds of getting an infection are very small. 

risk

by AgentX86 - 2018-07-30 23:11:00

Interesting article.  Thanks for posting the link.

Tracy, If it "all has to come out", how is the pacing done?  From the other side?  That presumes the infection hasn't spread very far, right? 

agentx

by Tracey_E - 2018-07-31 09:03:04

If we get an infection and it can't be gotten under control very quickly with antibiotics, they take out the whole system- pacer and leads. We can't risk the infection going down the leads into the heart.  Once the infection is cleared, they put a new system in the other side. If they put a new one in before the infection is cleared, it will just latch onto the new metal so they have to wait. For some of us, this would mean an extended stay in the hospital. I'm not sure if they can do a temporary while treating an infection, they might have to use external. I know Patch wore a vest when he was without his icd while treating infection.

This is why you've seen me post over and over if anyone has the smallest sign of infection, push for cultures immediately. Don't try whatever antibiotics they give you and see if it works, don't wait and see.  Jump on it quickly and aggressively to minimize the chance of infection getting to where it all has to come out.  

Thanks TracyE

by AgentX86 - 2018-07-31 22:32:16

I've read what you've said and understood the words but I hadn't considered having to rip everything out and not being able to replace it for some period of time.  Being dependent, this realization sure got my attention!