angina

I am a60year old female and have had 2 bypasses and 6 stints at present i have a lot of painful angina the heart Dr. today says i need this defibrillator , can anyone tell me what to expect,they are going to put it in Dec.2 will i know it is there and is there pain and will i get better at this point my heart is very weak only 35% working and i am always shor of breath and no energy.


tricia

1 Comments

Getting A Defribillator

by SMITTY - 2009-11-24 12:11:01

Hi Tricia,

Sounds like you really need to have a heart to heart talk with your Dr. before you get the defibrillator.

Looking at what you tell us about the 35%, which I guess to be 35% ejection fraction and the shortness of breath you could be getting a defibrillator and a pacemaker combination. But that is strictly a wild guess on my part.

If you are getting a device that includes a pacemaker you may feel much better. If you are getting only a defibrillator then that device is to prevent your heart from stopping in the event you go into something called ventricular fibrillation. I don't think a Defib unit would help the other problems you list. Also with a Defib. unit you would not know it was there after your get over the initial soreness which can take up to a few weeks. If that Defib unit has to give your heart a shock in the event of a V-Fib attack, I understand you can feel those.

If your device will include a pacemaker so far as feeling it the same thing I said about the Defib. goes for it. Of course you may be aware of it at the beginning because most of the time a pacemaker must have some settings changes at the beginning, but after the right ones for you are found, then you should not even know you have it.

Since all I am dong is making wild guesses on what of your problems may be and what kind of device you may be getting is all the more reason you need to get your information from your doctor as he will have all the correct answers.

Good luck,

Smitty

You know you're wired when...

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

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