battery end

Hi, I am supposed to pacemaker dependent,but I got this last battery in '99, St jude said I had 85% the other day but i had plenty of time left.
Does anyone know at what percent they change the battery?
You would think I WOULD KNOW THIS IS MY THIRD BATTERY.
Thanks and God bless, Nelson

4 Comments

Battery Life

by SMITTY - 2007-11-02 10:11:51

Hello Nelson,

I would guess that you have about 17 months left before the current battery is "used up." I arrive at that by assuming that the battery discharge has been a straight line function. That is you have used the same amount of the battery each year. You have had this battery since '99, which is 8 years. If you have used 85% of the battery power in 8 years that says this battery will probably last about 9.4 years, which leaves 1.4 years or about 17 months remaining. Since I'm sure your doctor will never let you go until you have a totally dead battery, my guess, based on these calculations, is that you can expect a battery change in 6 to 12 months.

The following is an excerpt from an article on this subject.

What happens when the battery runs out? Pacemaker batteries are designed to become depleted in a slow and predictable fashion. When followed over the telephone, the steady decline in energy can be followed. When the battery is low but still has significant power left, the pacemaker will still work just fine, but give indications (peculiar to each manufacturer and model) that the time for replacement is nearing. When the ERI (elective replacement interval) is reached, plans can be made for changing the battery at a date convenient for the patient and the surgeon.

In your case I would say you have plenty of time to give the good doctor a call and ask when he plans to plug in the battery charger.

Good luck,

Smitty


PM Replacement Time

by BABlocker - 2007-11-03 03:11:38

Nelson,
I am pacemaker dependent and my EP tells me that when the battery reaches approximately 3 months time left, I will have the PM replaced.

As for the time span left, my EP also told me that the usage is not necessarily in a linear fashion, depleting more rapidly towards the end of the battery life, instead of let's say "1 month gone after a month". That is why the PM needs replacing pretty quickly once it reaches the 3 month left mark because it could rapidly deplete down before that time.

Just my experience in asking my EP the very same question. Hope this helps.

PM replacement

by Susan - 2007-11-03 05:11:18

Hi Nelson,
I just had my battery replaced. I have a St. Jude model and I am pacemaker dependent. I was told about 8 months ago that I had about 6 months left on this battery. When I got to approximately 3 months I was checked each month to see how the battery was doing. The pacemaker lets the technician know when it reaches the Elective Replacement Interval. When that happens they begin to plan for a replacement. At the ERI time, the rate response automaticallyt turns off. I noticed that when I happened to be exercising and the workouts became more difficult. Sure enough, the next check showed I was at the ERI time. Even at the ERI time there is still three to six months left on the battery. We needed to wait for the pacemaker to show ERI when it was interrogated before they would consider a replacement (proabably for insurance purposes). The good part of this is that I got an upgrade: I lost my Intregrity and I have a new Identity.
Susan

Battery

by The Bunny - 2007-11-04 07:11:19

Hello Nelson...I too had my pacemaker placed in 1999---June. In April 2007 I had my battery/pacemaker changed...same leads, new model, including battery. When I went in for my normal check-up in Feb. 07, the dr. told me that I had 0-18 months left on my battery. I told him, wow, that is quite a window, can you break it down to a smaller one. They told me depending on how often I was using it would determine how much time it had left. As it depleted, which was only a couple of weeks after my check up, it worked less effeciently. About the beginning of March 07 I began having "symptoms", such as, heart palpatations, pressure in my chest. Mid/End March 07 is when I decided to go in to check it out. They told me I needed to get my battery changed now...so much for the latter prediction of 18 months! So about a week later, I rec'd my new unit.

My advice is to be aware of your body during these times of batteries ending, any changes that you are feeling, check it out! According to the Medtronic technician, the unit I have now is more sophisticated. He said it will be more specific in when I will need a replacement. He also said that because it's a newer model, it will last a bit longer. The great news is I am not PM dependant...I am only using my 3% of the time...dual chamber, on demand. When I first rec'd my PM I was 99% dependent so I've made amazing progress!
As far as the actually surgery, Please talk to your dr. on placement in detail...this was my 3rd surgery as my 2nd was to move it away from my collar bone. The sad news, is in a couple of weeks, I will have my 4th surgery to reposition my PM as a wire is protruding and the skin there is very thin! Frustrated for sure but glad I am alive!

Best to you Nelson!

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