Carol Kasyjanski, a Glen Cove resident and soft-spoken mother of two adult sons, quietly made medical history a few weeks ago when she became the first heart patient in the nation to receive a new generation of pacemaker with a super-sophisticated surveillance system.

Kasyjanski's pacemaker streams data wirelessly on the health of her heart - and the health of the pacemaker itself - to a monitoring device next to her bed. As she sleeps, the data flow to a central server thousands of miles away in California. Her doctor can tap into the information any time of day or night, from the hospital or even his home.

For the full story please go to www.newsday.com and do a search for Aug. 15, 2009 "pacemaker" That is how I found it.

The story is of great interest to me and I thought you each would like to read it. If you have already read it... please disregard.

Pacergirl

 

 

I can just see my doc sitting by a monitor all day long, personally monitoring 400 pace makers among his 1200 patients. That isn't going to happen. So the PM manufacturer and press need to re-state the part about your doctor monitoring the information.

I can foresee a new crop of specialist nurse techs that do nothing but monitor remote PM's. It won't be as expensive as your cardio doc personally monitoring your PM, but it will be costly nonetheless. I suppose there will be software that prioritizes the patients according to the severity of the problems. A patient may get a call from a tech, either asking if they feel OK, asking them to make an appointment, or telling them to report to the heart center right away.

Good or bad?

I think it's very good. However, there are always unintended consequences and expenses for all new technology.

Just don't get a mistaken mental image of your cardio doc watching your heart activity all day long. Otherwise you may get the false impression that you are always under Michael Jackson-like personal care.

 

This web site will give you a good look at the device pacergirl is talking about.

http://www.ecnmag.com/news-First-Wi-Fi-Pacemaker-Debuts-081109.aspx?menuid

Frankly I don't want one and furthermore I think it like bobad said, who what doctor is going to have time to review all the info they could be getting from theses things. They may be good for use in a cardiac intensive care unit, or some other critical care facility, but I truly hope they don't throw these things our for general use,

We got too many so called experts out there now that can't do an adequate job of interrupting the results they down load or see while talking to the patient. God help us if we have to rely on these people to use input from a WI-FI input to take care of our needs.

Anyway, I wonder what the cost of the things may be.

J. B.

 

I always like to read about the changes going on in the medical field especially when it concerns pacemakers. Even when I may not agree, or like something that is new, I need to be informed so I can make the right decisions for me. I have found that I make better decisions when I have taken the time to learn about the new advances.

In my opinion, an educated and informed patient is a healthy patient. Especially where medications are concerned. People are given meds everyday that can harm them. It is my responsibility as a patient to know what I take, why I take it and what the side effects are.

The same goes for me and my pacemaker. What is the type? what does it do? why do I need it? and who will monitor it? how will that happen? who will read the information? and who will call me when it gives off warnings and what is the end of life of the PM?

I learn these thing by reading about them. No one tells me anything unless I ask questions. I don't know what to ask if I have not educated myself.

Knowledge is a powerful thing.

Sorry in advance if I have offended anyone. I am just trying to explain why I posted the information.

Pacergirl

 

Hi All,
I've been following the news of this alleged "first wireless pacemaker" for a while. I'm a pacemaker writer (actually a medical writer who specializes in device therapy) and I have been in the industry quite a while.

BIOTRONIK invented the wireless pacemaker which was commercially available way back in 2001.

Since that time, Medtronic and Boston Scientific also developed wireless pacemakers. I know for a fact Medtronic had one three or four years ago.

St. Jude Medical did indeed just release its first wireless pacemaker--but they are nothing new! If anything, St. Jude is coming late to the party, not first!

I don't know how all of them work, but I know that some of them are set up so that the doctor can "flag" certain types of things (like A-fib or high rates or out-of-spec lead impedance). The device monitors constantly and the doctor is alerted if any of the flagged things occur.

In other words, the wireless transmission isn't continuous data from your heart feeding into the doctor's office but it is notification if certain events occur. I know the BIOTRONIK system can be set up so that the doctor can get notification of certain events on his cell phone or email.

Anyway, sorry to be so boring ... but wireless pacing has been around for years!!

Jo Ann

 

So that we (yeah you St. Jude Propaganda Manager) are clear about the history of wireless remote monitoring in the Cardac Rhythm Management industry.

BIOTRONIK released the first wireless pacemaker all the way back in 2001.

BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring still remains the only fully automatic, cellular-based portable system in the industry that has the capability to provide service to those patients without a landline or want the mobility and piece of mind that they are covered anytime and anywhere in the world there is GSM coverage. BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring is also the only clinically-proven system in the industry to have FDA approved claims to be a replacement for device interrogations during an in-office follow-up visit and even provide detection of silent, asymptomatic arrhythmias.