Life of Battery

Pm Life

by doublehorn48 - 2020-06-05 11:35:34

I'm paced 100% of the time.  My last pm was placed 2013.  At my last check I was told I had 4 yrs. left.  My pm's usually last 8+ years.

Thanks

by Lexitoo - 2020-06-05 12:07:01

That information is very helpful.  So perhaps the estimate of ten years may not be that far off.

BATTERY LIFE

by Gemita - 2020-06-05 13:05:32

Hello Lexitoo,

I am paced about 95% of the time in the right atrium and had my pacemaker implanted in May 2018.  I have at least 7 years to run apparently, but I dont think they can really accurately estimate how long it will last until we get nearer to the battery end of life.  

There are some settings and programs that will consume more energy that could have a bearing on battery longevity.  I was told apart from pacing, there are other functions that can drain the battery.  For example my pacemaker is set up to "mode switch" from pacing my right atrium during tachyarrhythmias to pacing my right ventricle, so as not to track the fast heart rates in the upper chambers of my heart.  It then has to switch back to atrial pacing when the tachyarrhythmia stops.  Because of the nature of my arrhythmias (in and out in nature) this can happen multiple times in a day and mode switching can be in frequent use, so this is one function that could potentially drain my battery faster.

The quality and positioning of our pacemaker leads can also have a bearing on the longevity of our batteries. If leads are optimally placed for good signal capture, I presume this would mean less drain on the battery (but I am no expert Lexitoo and hopefully others will contribute here). 

Let us hope our batteries last a long long time if we can keep our hearts firmly under control !!

Battery life

by CyborgMike - 2020-06-05 14:25:18

I'm paced at 97% and forecast is 8-9 years. I have an ICD (defibulator) pacemaker, so that can also change battery needs -- it has a bigger battery, but requires more juice, so it about evens out. While I am pacing 97% on the top (Atrial) I am only pacing 4% on the bottom (Ventricle). With a dual lead the amount top and bottom will also have an impact on battery.

It would be nice if we could just induction charge these things like our phones, but I also wouldn't want to keep mine for 20 years, since the technology gets better, so I think ten years would be a good round number for swaps. 

Battery life is an estimate

by LondonAndy - 2020-06-05 16:07:45

I am paced 100% and the forecast is a total life for my device of 7 to 8 years, if I remember what they said at last October's fifth anniversary check.  I have heard of people being given an INCREASED estimated life the next time they go for a check!  But as you get close to the estimated time a replacement is expected to be needed they increase the frequency of check ups. Obviously they take a cautious approach, and don't wait to the last minute!

Time

by rossjackson01 - 2020-06-06 19:45:54

My Pacemaker was fitted in May 2015.and given an estimate of 10 years. I was told this year, after my annual check 2020, that there was 11.5 years remaining. My usage is 1% for my lower chamber, but 100% on the upper Afib. 

I have always, throughout my life, been able to feel my heart. Now when I wake I can feel the upper chamber rhythm like a vibrating hum.  

Not had a problem since insertion. 

Flecainide and Bisoprolol are my beta blockers.

Regards

Ross

no guarantees

by dwelch - 2020-06-07 01:26:06

There is no guarantee on battery life.  The estimates you see each checkup are wrong, dont bother worrying (nor being excited) about them.  When it gets down to a few weeks, thats when you can bother with the estimate.

The battery is not the exact same size for every device, every condition.  I am 100% paced on a biventrical so it is firing down both sides every beat pretty much.  I have the same battery life expectancy as any one else 10 give or take.   Its just a bigger battery.

It is not like you both have the same size gas tank and the same car and you have the pedal to the metal and are burning more gas...thats not how it works.

I am on device number five.  My first one was huge (not as big as in the 70s but still big compared to today).  And they got smaller each time until this one and its bigger again, not as big as my first one but bigger than the last two.

I had a couple only go 7, which was shorter than expected and bascially Medtronic didnt do so well on those, but then I think I had a 10 year then number four was removed after a few years because I needed to switch to the three lead.  so will see how this one does.

Here is another thought on this.  Every new device is newer/better tech.  Just the tech from my first one today is dramatically different.  So while we strive for 10 years per, so what if they dont make it that long.

You are 6 months into your first device yes?  So you are still mentally, physically, emotionally still settling in to this new world.  Before long, next month or a few years from now this will be just another thing like a toe or belly button that you have and dont think about.  By the time you get to your next device you will have for the most part forgotten the majority of the recovery, some details perhaps but for the most part lost.  And then you get another, few weeks of the bulk of the recovery, then through the first year into the long stretch and then do it all over again.  7 years, 10 years, 13 years, whatever.  Aint no thing.  They last as long as they last.

Thanks

by Lexitoo - 2020-06-07 08:16:32

Thanks for all the helpful responses.  I have a lot to learn about my PM I guess. I know a fair amount about my aib/Aflutter but really little about this device I now have and appreciate the information you all have provided.