third lead
- by SamanthaS
- 2019-11-22 12:59:46
- General Posting
- 851 views
- 6 comments
I saw my EP yesterday and we discussed my EF trending down, down, down. It looks like I'm going to need a new pacemaker sometime in the fairly near future with a third lead in order to make my heart happier. I'm at 49% right now, but it has been dropping all year from 75% high at implant. I'm quite active and weight train and am only 63. He mentioned that there is some thought that younger people should just get a 3-lead at the beginning as a fair percentage do experience the EF drop and it interferes with life. Since I went in as an emergency, there was no discussion before the surgery. I'm doing okay right now, but definitely feel the drop in my movement effort and head. Won't want to go on with it too much longer as it will really become a problem again. Anyone have recent experience with this? It's just electrical for me, no heart disease or anything so meds won't work. Thanks so much!!
6 Comments
Younger
by AgentX86 - 2019-11-22 16:22:06
Thanks for that! ;-)
My first was a CRT-P, implanted a year and a half ago. Mine doesn't have the lead in the right atrium (my atria do nothing), so really it's a three-lead PM with only two connected. I was 67;-)
My LVEF is hanging in at 55-60%, so it appears to be working.
3rd lead
by Tracey_E - 2019-11-22 17:16:01
49% is a little low, but nowhere close to where they typically want it to be before upgrading to a CRT.
It's not common to use it as a preventative measure. I had one cardiologist suggest upgrading mine when I had my last replacement, I said no thanks. I said if a lead went bad or I had a drop in EF with symptoms, then we could talk about it but until then I want to leave well enough alone. My EP is adamantly against it, said if and when I have problems then we will talk about an upgrade, that he doesn't feel it prevents anything just adds more hardware. He said he sees it less than 10% of long term paced patients, and if we go 5 years paced without a drop in EF, then he almost never sees it drop later. I've been paced 25 years, my EF had not changed, so my EP said he does not see this as a risk for me and he doesn't see a CRT in my future.
3rd lead
by SamanthaS - 2019-11-22 19:11:47
I really appreciate your experience Tracey. The problem is I am having symptoms already similar to those I had off and on for years before the crisis last year that lead to the implant. He doesn't want to use it to prevent anything, the EF has already been steadily dropping all year. I've only had it a year today, actually. I really don't look forward to the surgery, but if I'm feeling lousy and have to try to function with lightheadedness and shortness of breath, I don't know if it's worth waiting. He's basically leaving it up to me how bad I feel and when I want to do it. I'm sure if my EF had not changed so much so quickly, this would not even be a discussion with him.
insurance
by Tracey_E - 2019-11-22 21:17:43
If your EF is over 35%, insurance may not want to cover a new device. That's typically the cut off. Have they ruled out other causes? You are just barely under what's considered normal. Good luck!
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Member Quotes
It may be the first time we've felt a normal heart rhythm in a long time, so of course it seems too fast and too strong.
switched recently
by dwelch - 2019-11-22 14:11:28
I went 30 years with two lead pacers before needing to switch to a three lead. The three lead got my EF back up. My biggest problem is I have a broken lead so that would mean four leads and is there room. Fortunately there was room so it is all on the same side. Four leads three being used.