pacemaker leads

How long do pacemaker leads last on average? How many of you have had additional leads placed without extracting the old ones, and how many of you have had leads extracted. Do they generally use the same kind of anesthesia as they give you for your initial pacemaker implant?

Vonnie

5 Comments

leads

by Tracey_E - 2008-12-09 10:12:10

Leads can last indefinitely! They're generally only replaced if something goes wrong with one. I have a bad lead now, it has a kink in it but it still works ok and it's been this way for several years so I chose not to replace it last time I got a new battery. Technology for both lead removal and new leads just gets better and better so I plan to put it off as long as I can.

They can put 3 or 4 in before they need to do an extraction.

There are a few people here who had extractions, they can tell you more. I think it's done under general but I'm not sure.

Lead replacement

by janetinak - 2008-12-10 03:12:33

I had some problem with my 1st single lead ventricle pacing so when PM battery needed to be replaced after 3 yrs,my one & only lead was pulled out. My EP told me he would try & get it out as after only 3 yrs he might be able to get it out w/o difficulty. And he did. No digging just pulled it out under local. Felt a little twinge as it got hung up but came out fast. So now I have a new battery & new lead & all good after 5 yrs. Still got about 2 yrs left. He had put the orginal into the ventricle wall in 2000 & put this one into the septum (middle wall between ventricles). He said I may have out calcium on the tip or ??? Who knows, its working. Now I guess if it is in longer then I understand it is a much bigger deal.

Hope that helps,

Janet

leads

by patpeter - 2008-12-10 06:12:22

I had to have a lead replaced during my 2nd pm implant. They didn't know one of the leads was bad until they were testing it while I was on the table. Since the hospital I was in didn't perform lead extractions they just put a 3rd one in. It was somewhat uncomfortable but I was awake the whole time. Unfortunately I am a small size and the MD said I didn't have much room in the vein, the lead touch occasionally and cause some syncope. I have a pacer interrogation 12/12/08 to check the status of it all. The MD said we may have to do an extraction if things worsen....so far so good though. My symptoms don't occur that often so I'm lucky. I am unclear if you receive more anasthesia with extractions or not. Hope this helps, I'll keep you informed.
Pat

lead extraction

by Dee96 - 2008-12-10 07:12:49

Hi all,
I had a lead extraction/replacement done on ventricular lead in Nov - PM was first implanted April '07 and fracture was diagnosed Jul '08.

I chose to use a specialist for extraction and they were standing by for problems (which they made clear would have involved general), but they didn't need the laser or general - it went very smoothly. Apparently the newer the lead, the easier it is to pull out.

Now I'm glad I did it that way - hope this helps.

Hi Vonnie,

by Gellia2 - 2008-12-10 09:12:06

I've had my working leads for nearly 27 years. They were placed back in early 1982, with one of the very first (actually it was the second ever, and still experimental) dual chamber pacers implanted. I also have a non working and floating free lead (big loop in the ventricle) that had scarred over in there placed in 1975.
I broke one of my 1982 leads (the ventricle one) and it had a connector placed on it back in 2001.
So far, so good. My EP would not try to get the old leads out because of the scar tissue and the length of time they have been there. They are also a very large size so removal would probably necessitate open heart surgery.
Should something go wrong with one I think I would opt for removal of the pacemaker on the one side and have it transferred to the other. That would give me a total of 5 leads, something I'd rather not have but it's better than them trying to remove the old leads.
My understanding of the wires is that they are like house wires. They can last indefinitely if they don't break.
Hope this helps.
Best to you,
Gellia

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