Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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Pain and swelling from wires

I got my pacemaker about 10 months ago.  I still have swelling and pain in my shoulder, armpit and left side of my face.  My EP did a CT scan and blood work and said everything is fine but the leads restrict blood flow in the vein.  He said that's common and eventually the other veins will expand to make up the difference.  It seems like it's been a long time already and I don't see any other posts about this.  Has anyone else had experience with this situ...

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Medication caused battery depletion

I am making this post because something crazy happened to me and I want to share as I remember frantically searching for answers: 

 I am a female in my 20's who had to have an emergency pacemaker put in after the doctor got too close to my AV node during catheter ablation surgery (for WPW) and now have surgically induced 3rd degree heart block. 
 

Anyhow, obviously surgery just caused more problems for me and original arrhythmia was not cured...

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battery change and update

I went to my EP today and and my head is still spinning to find my battery is down to less than a month (looked at votage as well).  Last week I had 3 months, a couple of weeks before that was 2 months, so bouncing all over the place.  

I wil be upgraded to a CRTD from an ICD.  He wanted to do it tomorrow or Friday, but due to the anticoagulants I take, it will be done next Thursday or Friday.  It will be changed from Medtronic to St Jude/Abbott (that's who...

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Battery question and weights

Hi guys, 

 

I implanted my first pacemaker ever on October 28, 2021 so approximately 10weeks. Two weeks ago I went to see my EP and I saw that my battery was at 95%. Is that too little? If I spend 5% every two months my battery will die in 3 years, Right? 
-Also, I feel like ive been holding weights more than I should (my puppy for example he is 14kg) and I am a little worried if my leads moved or something? Is it really easy to move the leads? 

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Life expectancy of a lead

Hello, 

What is the life expectancy of a lead? I've heard it is acceptable to review every 20 years, adding a new one or extracting the old one (which has risks) I have a DDDR PM dual chamber, RA lead is doing fine, RV apical lead has problems, dislodged at first attemp, made a scar tissue and needs high voltage, i'm not sure but sth like 8mv is required for safety margin, which i think drains more battery. What would you do if you have a 20 years old lead? This gonna be my...

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Battery Change

I am havng my pacemaker battery changed tomorrow. Does anyone know restrictions after surgery?  Is there much discomfort afterwards?

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Recall

Hi guys,

I have an Abbott/st Jude PM, Assurity/ endurity PM2272, implanted May 2019. It is part of a recall, no action required it says, unless malfunctions of course. Small number apparently. Just found out.

trouble attaching the notice but basically moisture can get in the unit and can short it out.

FYI 

 

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Scared, battery is low

I am getting scared.  I have a St Jude dual chamber ICD, pacing artial 90% ventricle 20%.  SSS, right atrium defect.   I live in the US.

This is my second, soon to be 3rd pace maker.  I was implanted in 2011 with this device... I have been told I had 2 years, 6 months later, 1 year,  2 months later 10 months before I run out of battery.  It is dropping quickly.  Mathematically I am at less than 9% battery life.   They (Kaiser Insurance)...

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Having problems with pacemaker

Hello all I am new here, I had a duel chamber pacemaker placed on nov 3rd 2021 started a few days later with twitching in my right side and diaphram found out the lead came out of place, so on november 16th 2021 they went back in and my pacemaker had fell down in pocket so he sowed it down to chest muscle and sowed the leads down and left more slack, well yesterday day after that surgery my lead has moved again, he said my heart just won't take the screws to keep it still so I am waiting...

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Pacemaker Replacement

My dual lead pacemaker is due for replacement next week, and the doctor said I should get an ultrasound of my heart to make sure it is pumping properly in case he needs to put in another lead.  This is making me nervous because just one more thing to worry about.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Thanks so much, Holly

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may need 3rd electrode…

I hadn't downloaded my pacemaker for a couple of years and just discovered that my ventricles went from 11% dependent to 100% dependent.  The electro technician was explaining that sometimes the left ventricle which doesn't have a lead could get kind of asymmetrical, and it could lead to heart failure. It looks like I have a complete heart block now. how much harder is it to get a lead into the left ventricle than the right?  It must be more difficult than the...

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Beeping icd

I have a Boston scientific and the Ep guy said it looks like 3 months left. Today and last night it's beeping I just had the second set of beeps I heard. 12 hours apart. Anybody had this happened. I called the Dr waiting for a call back 

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Battery low

Six months ago my battery life was 2 1/2 yrs...yesterday my battery life was 5 months. Does anyone know what would cause this?

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Pacemaker change

I used to get my pacemaker checked once a year, but now it's every 3 months, on my last check up they say I've got about 12 month battery left. How long before it runs out do I have the operation? 

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Lead Fracture

Has anyone had a lead fracture and had odd symptoms prior to finding out? I ask because I had a couple of weeks of dizziness, nausea and fast heart beat runs.  One night at had reached over to turn off my nightlight and my heart rate went crazy (ended up only being 80's on my watch) but every time I moved my arm for about 10 mins, it would beat strong and funny.  Then for about a week every time I moved my arms, I would get palpitations. The amount of palpitations increased in t...

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pacemaker replacement

My first pacer was implanted 6/11, and the battery is now reaching end of service.  At the point that its "elective replacement indicator" was activated to enter ERI mode, I made the decision not to have a second implant.  At that point, my cardiologist of six years "fired" me and refused continuing care.  Further, the Abbott Lab technician also refused to provide me with any battery status testing.  I now am in hospice without any cardiology oversight...

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Lead Replacement... Use the same vein? Come in from the other side?

My leads need to be replaced and I will see the cardio electrician soon to go over the options.  I can think of three.  (1)  Remove and Replace - in kind.   (2) Insert the replacement without removal.  (3) Come in from the other side.

Seems like (1) & (2) are more risky than (3).  If so, why would a doctor consider doing (1) or (2)?

I want to think this through before seeing the cardio electrician.   I...

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Lead replacement

Good Morning everyone!

three years ago one of my leads needed replacing. So another lead was fed down the same vein and malfunctioned lead was capped off.  During the process I went into VF and was ‘zapped twice’ ...During the process I suffered a pericardial effusion!  I’ve just found out that this second replacement lead is showing signs of malfunction!  I am terrified!  I have to go back in three months to see if the numbers have stabilized. &nbs...

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Single Lead for Intermittent AV Block

Hi again, high-anxiety soon-to-be-implanted pacemaker patient here.

I had a cardiac MRI done last week that confirmed mild LV noncompaction, QRS ~ 140ms. My doctor saw 3 long pauses on my Zio monitor over two weeks: 10s, 8s, and 7s. "High grade AV block". During waking hours I have 1st degree AV block with no pauses, been that way for 5 years. Asymptomatic but he wants to give me a PM to reduce my risk...

I talked with this doctor yesterday, and he recommended a sin...

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Urgent advice

Dear members

I have a VDD pacemaker implant since 2011 but I have paced  3% since then.  The problem  is Its now  pacing diaphragm,  I get pvcs and severe cough. drs here have confirmed  I don't need it anymore, They wanted to switch it off but the battery life is too low  to change the settings. It was on VDD mode but automatically changed the mode to VVI. 3rd day now i get severe cardiac events. The pacemaker   request immediate replace...

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You know you're wired when...

Bad hair days can be blamed on your device shorting out.

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