Just read on a website that when your ICD is fitted they put you into cardiac arrest to see if its working is this true? Has having mine fitted on Tue! Its says if you having ICD they put you under more sadtion because of this.

 

 

I don't have the answer to your question as I have a pacemaker, but just give it some time and I'm sure a lot of the members who have ICD's will respond to your post.

Take care, and good luck!
Pookie

 

I got my ICD in November and yes, they did test it.
The ICD did its job and got my heart back into a regular rhythm.

No worries. You'll be a-ok.

Melissa

 

When I has my ICD implanted there was no anaesthesiologist so I was given a local and the ICD was not tested. It was finally tested 3 months later because a lead had to be replaced.

I know that there are clinical trials underway to see if testing is necessary, but testing is still the norm.

 

Thanks for replies, just panicked when this website said put into cardiac arrest! Also i have read after implant you can suffer from depression & anxiety!

Thanks Sharon

 

How I got a 2 wire dual chamber pacemaker with defibrilator......

Flatlined during EP study, Dec. 4th, 2007 at about 10 am and was externally defibrillated back. Took straight to Cardiac CCU and put on morphine, they had to overnight a specific AICD for my condition....

Dec. 5th, 2007 ......6 am prepped for emergency AICD implant, implanted and YES to test if its working you are put into an induced arrythmia to see if the pacemaker works, then ultimately to see if and what is the treshold for you to get your shock therapy.......

Dec. 6th 2007........8 am prepped for another test, went into Operating room and they did the test again.Yes another induced arrythmia......I was finally released about 6pm that night........I went in the hospital at 5am Weds the 4th and got home about 6:30pm Friday night...

I don't know if I got 2 days of shock testing, because I flatlined at the EP study or if it was standard procedure.....Usually for an ICD they tell you its a one day out patient, but its almost always a day and a half........There is nothing to fear.....if anything goes wrong "like in my case" atleast I was already in the Heart Hospital......lol........you be given the twilight anesthsia, you'll be in and out......you won't feel anything.......nothing to fear, no need for anxiety........I've been flatlined 7 times,and defibrillated 7 times thats when you can have fear and anxiety.......so see they know what they are doing.........good luck, and remember your worth more alive to them then dead, if your alive you have to come back for regular checkups, you are now some doctors kid college fund.......

 

Most of you out there though was the fitting as bad as you thought it would be? And also is it a hassle when you go on holiday as my sister went on a cruise and a guy on there only goes cruising now as he got ICD and says its a hassle at airports as they pull him over and search his case.

Thanks Sharon x

 

I have the 3 lead PM and Defib. I have a crappy EF (15) and the anesthesiologist was very careful. I was fully awake when they took me to the OR and as one of the last things they did, they put these padded restraints on my arms to "keep me from hurting myself." Oh and, I later learned that because I also have a leaky mitral valve, they dropped this little "tent" over my face. I was thinking it was probably that they go easy on the sedation because of the heart problem. I now think, and have been told by others, that this is when they stop the heart and test the defib. That's when they don't want you to get injured so they restrain your arms To be honest, I haven't had the heart to ask the EP that did the procedure. I know that at some point I was aware and knew I was in pain. I groaned so that someone would notice..(in my head only, I said) .HEY I'M HERE AND THIS DOESN"T FEEL GOOD. As soon as I groaned, zoom...out again. After the procedure I told my daughters that he must have been having a hard time getting the thing inside my chest because I think he had his knee on my shoulder at some point. They laughed at me. It was a brief moment of discomfort but it's the only way to get your new best friend to "bond" with you. I'm very grateful they didn't finish the procedure w/o checking and then come and said, "this one isn't working and we'll need a re-do in a couple of weeks." It's over before you know it and you really have got a lfe-saver in your chest.