Future ICD's

I swear I'll stop posting so much soon, I just got on this site today :-). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew of advances in ICD technology, more importantly (to me anyway) the size of the devices. Does anyone know of smaller, thinner devices in the works? I've tried to find info on it but all I find is that St. Jude's came out with flatter leads. It seems like the devices haven't really reduced in size from the 90's. I think the problem is that battery technology has basically come to a halt and they can't make them any smaller without having to replace them every couple of years. I'm really hoping one day soon they make them so thin that it won't bulge out of the skin and will basically be unnoticeable. Seems like I'm the only one worried about it bulging out of my skin :-).

3 Comments

ask doctor

by ferretgirl22 - 2007-04-26 02:04:14

I was very conserened with it bulging out of my skin, luckily I was able to have it placed beneath my pectoral muscle and since I am a female it blends in with natrual curve. Ask your cardio about ways to hide it best. Your going through enough the last thing you want to worry about is how you'll look after so talk to your doctor he should be able to help

Your not the only one!!

by KarenLL - 2007-04-26 11:04:18

Believe me, your not the only one worried about the fact that you can see the PM! I just got mine 5 weeks ago. I teach at a gym so I have been VERY worried about the fact that you can see it. I asked about having it placed under the muscle but I was discouraged from that. The doctor said it is a much longer healing time and more chance of infection. You can see mine, especially the top which must be resting on the muscle underneath. I have been very upset about and hate to even look at it. Everyone keeps telling me in a few years i will not even thing about it. I try to just be thankful that this is a solution to a very big problem. Things could be a whole lot worse! This is just a part of who I am now.

As far as your question on the leads. They found my lower lead had pulled away from my lower chamber a week after i had the implant. They saw it from an xray. They decieded to let mine go for the 6 weeks and hope it reattaches more firmly to the heart.I go next week to find out more. I have not had any problems other than some pressure in my chest but they are not even sure why i am having that.

Yes, there are R&D to make it thinner

by IBelieveICanFly - 2007-05-06 12:05:04

Yes, many engineers are working on various new technologies to reduce ICD size. Battery size is one bottleneck. The progress of battery technology is very slow in the last few decades. Another bottleneck is the size of capacitor that charges energy for high voltage shocks.

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