Leads

I received this note today regarding my PM & its battery (I'm the owner of a 3-lead Medtronic VIVA XT CRT-D PM): " When you saw your EP in January he made an statement in his plan that when the time came for generator change he would send you to the surgeons for an epicardial lead placement. One of your leads is not giving the best signal and is causing increased drain on battery life."    ---  What can I look forward to?  When the A-V Node ablation was performed back in 2012 along with lead and PM insertion, I was basically knocked out.  One difference: back then, I was a paroxymal A-Fib kinda guy.  Today, I'm a full-time A-Fibber.  Does this complicate matters?

--Dave--

4 Comments

get another opinion

by Tracey_E - 2018-11-12 22:01:55

I would get another opinion before moving to epicardial leads, see if it's something about your anatomy or the lead itself that is the problem. If the lead just isn't in a good place, my first choice would be find a good place for it rather than go with epicardial. Epicardials leads also drain battery quickly. 

Leads

by DAVID H - 2018-11-13 00:07:18

Thanks, Tracy................................I recall my current EP mentioning  (Just after he installed the Meditronic VIVA XT CRT-D back in Jan 2015), he remarked there wasn't much choice in where to feed that third lead up thru my boney and slim chest cavity since there was 60 lbs less of me  (intentional)  than there was in May, 2012 when my initial PM was implanted by a different EP.

Thanks for your $0.02!

--Dave--

Leads

by DAVID H - 2018-11-13 16:35:43

My most current plan: I've found that if a lead presents an issue when a Doc tries to remove it, he'll just leave it in place and install a new lead. As I stated earlier, there's barely enough room in my chest cavity for the in place lead so placing an additional lead is out of the question.

--Dave--

Leads

by DAVID H - 2018-11-14 20:03:28

Saw my EP today......................he was "pushing" for an erpicardial lead insertion and "capping off"  the one lead, and leaving it hanging in place.  I was curius about his previous comments about my chest cavity not having much working space.  I'll admit, I didn't give him much space to explain what he was proposing but, I knew a scalple would be involved, and with my blood issues................No-No!  He agreed to simply replace the generator.  Afterward, at my meeting with his device clinic nurse - who disabled the 7:45 AM alarm - and who is someone I KNOW I can count on.............................she stated: "Nothing is guaranteed. You could have the epicardial lead implanted, and simply end up with 1 month more of battery life."  She said my current device will give 4 yrs. battery life. Similar devices with different lead hook-ups sometime give 5 yrs. battery life.  Is it worth it?  Go with your gut!

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