ejection fraction after CRT

Me Too

by Chapter - 2020-05-07 19:43:58

Yes, CEDRIC1, I was just going to post.  
I got an emergency Pacemaker in November 2017, to tears Bradycardia.  Echo after implant showed an EF of 55%, and I was sent home good to go.   I started having issues with hard PVC's and palpitations right away.  Checkups showed Pacer doing its job, but I wasn't feeling great, started feeling like before implant.  Anyway, I kept complaining until Cardiologist was part of Pacer Interrigation and I left feeling like if there is anything he for sure will figure it out.  So, by August of 2018 he has told me I am in Heart Failure and loaded down with meds.  January 2019, Angiogram says arteries are clean, heart is weak, need more meds.  Finally saw an Electrophysiologist in May and was scheduled for CRT-P in August.  Recovery was excellent, pain nothing compared to first time around, and I felt really good.  2 months ago I started feeling nauseous again and more fatigue, got in for Echo last week (had been cancelled earlier because of you know what) and results apparently showed EF up to 50 (was 32% before CRT).  So I should be feeling good and can't complain for now.

Happy for you,

Chapter

awesome!

by Tracey_E - 2020-05-08 09:54:38

That's a great improvement!

Question

by margmac - 2020-05-17 16:29:10

Cedric1, I had 2 lead pacemaker for 20 years and in March 2020 a 3 lead biventricular crt pacemaker was implanted. I have not been able to have settings adjusted in the pacemaker clinic because restrictions in place. I am scheduled for May 27. Hope they can set to my activities.

My biggest question is that most every night at about 2:45 am I feel an kind of thumping near the pacemaker site that lasts about 2 minutes. This is the only time I feel it. My thought is that it has something to do with the MyCareLink Relay Home Communicator doing a check. Have you experienced anything like this? I know it sounds crazy but is real. Thanks for any input anyone might have!

started off lower

by dwelch - 2020-05-23 06:52:01

33 years with pacers, two lead for almost all of that my ef has been creeping down from the 40s into the 30s so they decided to cut short pacer number four and put in a biventrical for pacer number five.  And my ef went up, implying it was from being paced for so long.  So yours is a story of watch it then act, but also depending on when and where they place the lower leads the heart over a long period of time 15-25 years or more, may have issues with that and the biventrical in my case allowed them to drive them separately rather than one side drive and the signal create a wave across the heart rather than how the body does it.  from this website it sounds like todays docs/tech/knowledge are able to place them better so in 25 years maybe this wont be the same for you as it was for me.

But yes I also recommend a biventrical if they offer it.  I dont think they were expecting my ef to come back up, but instead to stop falling. 

Was a long two years though had personal/family issues that prevented me from getting my stress test done, that dragged it out almost a year, then the pacer, then I didnt get my 6 month echo because the doc moved offices and they could no longer do the echo the same day as the visit so I got the echo to see if the pacer helped another 6 months later, so almost 2 years from your ef is really bad, to okay you are fine.  (fine for me is in the 40s).

Good luck, be safe, glad you are here, welcome to the club.