battery life of a Medtronic PM

I've just read several currently posted comments about battery life with the Medtronic PM. After a telephone checkup recently I was told that my battery life was down unexpectedly (PM only 3 yrs/ 3 months old) and that I should schedule a visit. I was asked the usual questions about whether I'd had an MRI, been near heavy equip, etc. Nothing I recall.
My questions is, does anyone have any information on unexpected drop in battery life and thoughts as to what that might be related to? Thanks.

Robert

6 Comments

Robert

by LS - 2010-04-25 04:04:45

I guess if you're paced all the time, or the more that you are, the faster the battery will fade.
Liz

depends

by Tracey_E - 2010-04-25 05:04:40

It could be an error.

How down is it? Lower than they expect doesn't necessarily mean it needs replaced soon,it just means the numbers have changed.

When I had a sudden drop, one of my leads had gone bad. It still worked but it was like running the air conditioner with the window open so the battery drained quickly. I should have had 5-6 years left but it dropped to 2-3 yrs, so we just watched it for those 2-3 yrs. I replaced that battery and kept the fractured lead another 3.5 years before it got worse, I finally had to have the lead replaced when I got my last new battery. Since it was working, we waited until I needed the new battery.

A lot of things affect battery life. Only a small part of it is how much you pace, believe it or not. It works 24/7, either pacing or watching, but it's still working and putting some drain on the battery at all times. Overall life has to do with your safety margins (larger ones drain the battery faster, if your usage is irregular they have to use higher safety margins), how many of the extra bells and whistles it comes with you are actively using (things like rate response on will use up battery life faster than rr off, etc).

Every time they change your settings, your estimated battery life will change. Ex, when it's new they turn the voltage up higher. After 60-90 days, they turn it down so the battery life will instantly appear longer.

When you go for your appt, ask for a copy of the report. Some of the guys here can explain it to you.

Battery Life

by musser75 - 2010-04-25 06:04:29

Hi Robert,
first let me tell you about the battery life expectance. There are a lot of variables which influence battery life. Most important of them is the usage of the pacemaker. If you are pacemaker-dependent ( means that whole time heart beat with the stimulation of the pacemaker ), this will surely lower the life of the battery. secondly some options like "egm storage" lower too. Indeed, if it was unexpectedly down, it is more probable that the threshold values of the leads ( these are cables ) gone high. The threshold value is the lowest voltage at which the pacemaker can stimulate yoru heart. We do see it ( rarely) that over time the threshold value gets high in some patients. If it isn't above 2,0-2,5 V, it would be o.k. to let it so. Second, after some heavy movements ( like carring lagguage) leads gets fractured and the pacemaker needs to comsume more energy in order to overcome this fracture. I would suggest You to go your visit and let the interrogaton printed out. Scan it and send it to me per e-mail. So I can tell You more...
Healthy day...
musser75, MD

Battery life

by relax221 - 2010-04-25 08:04:59

I have a St Jude ICD and my battery rate dropped from 3.00 to 2.55 about 3 yrs old. It stayed at 2.55 for 8 months and just dropped to 2.52. They will replace when it gets to 2.44. Even then I will have 3 months to get it done. I have atrial fib and it's pacing over 90 %.Hope it helps

Mike

My guess......

by Pookie - 2010-04-25 09:04:58

it could be a problem with a lead.

if you can, always get a copy or print out at every interrogation, then that way you can see changes (if there are any) and ask the doctors or PM techs what it means.


Pookie

daughters pacemaker with big bt drop!

by wyndilee - 2010-06-10 05:06:11

my daughters apt 6 mths ago said she had 11/2 years left now 6 mths later her pacer is reading 3 mths left! What a huge drop she goes in in 3weeks to have it changed! why would it drop so fast kinda scares me!

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