Lead needs to be repositioned

I had a month check up today and the Cardiologist says the lower lead is not getting the energy it needs. He said he would give it another month to straighten itself out and if it doesn't would have to go back in and reposition it. Has anyone else had a similiar issue?
Thanks

3 Comments

forgot to add......

by Pookie - 2011-08-17 10:08:04

mine wouldn't stay in place because of the "thing" at the end of the lead that attachs to the heart wall......there are 2 kinds: one is like a fish hook and one is like a screw.

In my case I had the fish hook type and it kept falling and I had to have it "repositioned" 3 times before a Cardiac Surgeon took over my case and he used the screw end type and it has stayed in place ever since November of 2004.

You might want to discuss the different types of lead-ends with your doc....just saying:)

Pookie

Yes/No

by Pookie - 2011-08-17 10:08:25

My lead wouldn't stay in place at all.

It's just my opinion, but how can a doctor hope that a lead will straighten itself out???? It is probably made it's home and is going to stay there if you know what I mean and it is probably using more "juice" (battery) than the doctor would like to see when he/she interrogated your pacemaker.

There are NUMEROUS members who have had this happen......just a suggestion, but there is a search feature up in the upper right hand corner of this page and if you type in "lead reposition" (or something very similar) you will find oodles of posts just like the one you posted.

I wouldn't be surprised that when you see your doctor in one month's time that if the impedence is higher than the reading you just had - then that is when he will suggest that the lead be repositioned.

Mine ventricle lead (according to the Mayo Clinic) is not in a very good place and when I use it (which is not very often) it has to use A LOT of the battery (or what I call "juice"). So depending on what your condition is and why you even had the pacer, he might decide to leave it alone. For example: I now pace in the upper lead at 89% and have always paced less than 1% in the ventricle lead - hence, that is why my Canadian doctors are going to leave it alone. If my heart ever starts needing the use of the bottom lead, I am sure I will be in getting my lead repositioned too.

But again, I don't know why you needed your pacemaker or even how much you use your bottom lead, but it is my opinion that how can a lead straighten itself out????????

I hope other members post some comments as well, because like I mentioned - numerous members have had to have a lead repositioned, it is VERY common.

Take care,
Pookie

It happens

by Marie Kristen - 2011-08-24 09:08:52

I have a dual chamber pacemaker and I was vomiting a lot after the procedure from medications. I kept calling the doctor's office to state that I felt worse then before the procedure and when he finally saw me, he thought that it was the pneumothorax that was bothering me that I had as a result of the procedure. I had a cxr and he said that the hole in my lung was healing but then when he went to program my device he couldn't. He looked back on the x ray and noticed that my bottom lead had come almost completely out. Three weeks after I had my pacer implanted, I had a lead revision. The first one was the one with the little grabbies and the second one was with the screw. That was in Nov 2004. I have been pretty good since then.

Good Luck!
Marie

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