Pacemaker Brands and replacement

mixture

by dwelch - 2017-03-14 00:18:04

I thnk I have guidant leads had three medtronic pacers and now a st judes.  Didnt feel different with the st judes.  As far as lower limit, etc they are using the same settings.  Newer pacers have newer features and settings, etc..  Just had a talk with the doc about brands as I am about to get number five.  With starting so young and having pre-MRI leads then long battery life is a desire, and none of the brands stand out in that respect.  Two of them had gone into safety mode, fixed 65BPM, made climbing stairs a challenge.  So there is that transition from normal to safety mode then from safety mode back to "normal" (working pacer).   There is also anxiety that plays a role too.

How long ago did they put this one in?  

interchangeable

by Tracey_E - 2017-03-14 11:06:58

Leads and devices are, for the most part, interchangeable so it's not hard to switch to another brand. Devices change over the years so whether you switch brands or not, there may be changes when you get a replacement.  There are many reasons to change, so how you'd feel after would depend on why you were making the change. Usually it's for the better or we don't notice a change. They would start your settings very similar to what the old one had.

Some doctors prefer one brand over another, so if you change doctors they may want to switch you to the one they know better.

There are different types of rate response, so you may change in order to get a rate response that better fits your needs.

Some have higher limits. This was a big deal for me because I kept bumping the upper limit when I exercised so getting a new one with a higher limit means I can exercise harder. 

Not always that easy !

by IAN MC - 2017-03-14 14:07:47

While Tracey is probably right that boxes and leads are interchangeable between brands , you have to find an EP who is willing to do it.

I am encountering massive problems. I have a Medtronic Advisa which is MRI-compatible as are the leads. I want to switch to a Boston Scientific box ( because of the better Rate Response sensors ) but I want to keep the Medtronic leads as lead-changes are best avoided if possible.

My EP refuses to " risk " it because no studies / trials have been done to confirm that this is a safe thing to do. I met someone from Medtronic on Monday and the company refuses to OK the safety of fitting a Boston Scientific box to their Medtronic leads ( Surprise, Surprise ! ) .

The same Medtronic person admitted to me that their accelerometer rate-response sensor is totally inadequate for many sporting activities, cycling being the best example.  

I asked Mr Medtronic   " Why on earth do you not make a pacemaker with dual sensors ? "

Answer :  " We hardly see any people with pacemakers who want to be very physically active "   

Ian

Ian

by BillH - 2017-03-14 16:06:57

If I am not mistaken Medtronics used to have a device with dual activity sensors. Don't know why they discontinued it.

Yes, found a couple of references to it.

https://books.google.com/books?id=lsLdCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA301&lpg=PA301&dq=medtronic+pacemaker+with+dual+activity+sensors&source=bl&ots=HQuS3U7mSj&sig=ZJqdDzS3zSd44a99HHzaSgaE45A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjC15Ti1dbSAhUD8WMKHXY7DPUQ6AEIMzAE#v=onepage&q=medtronic%20pacemaker%20with%20dual%20activity%20sensors&f=true

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8945021

And what does the EP think is "not safe" with the combination. Is it lead functional compatability? There are many many people with mixed leads vs PM's.

Or is it just the MRI certification?

With the recent study on MRI safety with non approved devices that "should" not be as much a concern.

Bill

by IAN MC - 2017-03-14 16:59:53

I'm not sure why Medtronic abandoned dual sensors but I will try to find out. I guess it comes down to  cost.

As far as I can tell my EP's main concern is the MRI safety aspect . While we are all familiar with the recent studies I think it will be a few years before cardiologists / radiographers happily give any PM patient an MRI scan . Old worries will need time to disappear and further studies will be needed.

My EP thinks the PM functionaliity would PROBABLY be ok no matter which leads are attached  to a box but he doesn't seem to want to be the first to try it. The manufacturers are of no help in reassuring him.

Cheers

Ian

Ian

by Tracey_E - 2017-03-14 18:06:54

for the most part means not all. ;o) mri leads are not like other leads, so they'd be an exception. 

Shaking my head

by Cabg Patch - 2017-03-15 13:31:10

All manufacturers have an interchangability list for leads to devices for all makes and models. You are not limited to using Brand X leads with Brand X cans. When all else fails a good set of automobile jumper cables works wonders too...