Biventricular Pacemaker- questions

Hi everyone:)

First of all I just want to say thanks to you all for all the replays and a very helpful information's.
I am schedule for my pacemaker replacement on Oct.-30.
Finally I was able to find out from my doctor that he is planning to use a Biventricular pacemaker to provide a back-up. I had an AV-node ablation.

BaBlocker I do have all that info. from you on that Biventricular pacemaker, you did say that that pacemaker can serve as a back-up. You seem to be very knowledgeable in that area:) At that time I was almost sure that my doctor was talking about completely pacemaker.
I do realize that I will have a back-up so far as the leads are concern. I need some answers about that pacemaker. Is it true that in that pacemaker there are two "parts" or something like two pacemakers working independently from each other? (using the same battery). One "part" is working 2-leads (like a dual pacemaker) and the other "part" got one lead. Since they are working independently from each other in case of malfunction of one "part" the other "part" would still work?- providing a back-up for the ventricles.
Maybe I am not explaining that very well. My writing in English is not that good. But, that is what that doctor told me. He even drew that on a paper for me. It kind of looked like two egg yolks in one shell.
Info. about that pacemaker:
St. Jude
Medical
Model # 5586
CTR-P
(Cardiac Resynchronization or Bi-V)

I would appreciate very much any help on that subject.
Krys
PS: right now I have a dual pacemaker-Guidant. But that doctor told me that he will not use the Guidant this time because the battery would last only for two years.
One more question. Dos anyone knows how many days before the surgery the Plavix (blood thinner) needs to be stop to avoid bleeding? The nurse told me that she will mail all the info to me a 1-week before the surgery. I probably will get that two or three days later. And I just remember, when I was getting an injection to my back I was told to stop taking that blood thinner 7days before that.

1 Comments

BiV Pacemaker

by BABlocker - 2007-10-13 08:10:25

Krys,
The BiV pacer has 3 lead connections instead of two in one contained unit. A lead will go into your right atria, your right ventricle, and your left ventricle. While it can serve as a "backup", let's say if your right ventricular lead fractures, it's primary purpose is to synchronize the two ventricles and septal wall inbetween them.

The risk of the dual pacemaker with AV Node ablations is that long term pacing of the right ventricle over time has shown in studies to be a risk factor for development of cardiomyopathy (congestive heart failure). This can occur when the right ventricle, which is being paced 100 percent, and the left ventricle begins to beat at different times, or the wall inbetween them beats in different times to the ventricles, causing enlargement of the left ventricle and weakening of the heart muscle, causing backup of blood into the lungs-congestive heart failure.

The BiV pacemaker paces the ventricles together so that this does not happen.

As for when to stop your Plavix, call your Dr's office and ask to speak to a nurse about that; she'll know or she'll call you back after asking the Dr. on your behalf.

I wish you well on your surgery Oct. 30th, and I hope my information helped.

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In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.