What if....

I am fully dependant on a pacemaker due to a surgically induced complete heart block. I have recently reached my ERI.

What would be the manifestations when my PM reaches the end of its life? Since i am fully dependant, would it be quick? Or I may have symptoms due to congestive cardiac failure? What are the likely symptoms and the duration. Please explain.

3 Comments

End of pacemaker life

by ElectricFrank - 2012-02-29 02:02:50

The pacers are designed to go through a couple of stages as the battery is depleted. As long as you are having regular checkups by a competent clinic there's very little chance of the pacer just quitting.

The effect on your heart in the case of a total failure depends on how much and where the tissue was ablated. In my case I have a complete block (natural) and the effect of no pacing is that my HR drops to around 30 bpm. A few years ago I asked them to interrupt pacing for a short time during an office visit. I tried both sitting and standing during the time and while I felt lousy I didn't pass out.

The extreme of course is that the ablation damaged the intrinsic ventricular pacing pacing in the ventricles. This is what keeps most of us alive when natural pacing fails. In this case a complete failure of the pacer would cause total arrest with maybe 15-30 seconds of consciousness. Fortunately, this is very rare.

Hope this answers your question. If not post more.

frank

When I went into ERI

by janetinak - 2012-02-29 03:02:54

I called Boston Scientific & was told how long my PM waould be in ERT. It was 90 days for me. But my EP replaced the PM with in a few wks.

I had a PM rep year ago mistakingly slow my PM down too much & I felt like it was the end for me. But it was reversed rapidly when the RN came in the room & told him I was 100% dependent due to an AV node ablation. I felt OK after that & have never seen that guy around the clinic since. ;-)

Any how, are you planning to go to End of Life? I sure hope not. Its not necessary.

Hope that helps,

Janet

Typo above

by janetinak - 2012-02-29 03:02:55

meant to say it was "years ago" not a year ago

Janet

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My pacemaker is intact and working great.