New member--getting a St Jude Assurity PM implanted in 2 days?

Don't have that model

by Theknotguy - 2018-08-16 15:23:23

Don't have that model.  I have the Medtronic's Surescan.  Didn't know St.Jude had the afib programs too.  It's good to know.  

I have two programs running.  It's really weird at first when the programs kick in.  You get all sorts of sensations.  But then again, I'm one of those rare individuals who can feel their afib.  So if you don't feel your afib you may not even know anything is going on.  

Between the two programs they work about 80% of the time I'm in afib.  The other 10% I'm on my own and it's the same as having afib before I had the pacemaker programs.  Results from the afib programs don't necessarily happen overnight.  So you may have some adjustment.  I think it was about a year before I felt any real differences.  Now, almost four years out I'm down from feeling one episode of afib per day to feeling an episode about every six weeks.  Most of the time I feel really good and I'll be giving my EP an argument if he wants to go away from Medtronic in the future.  

I've heard the pacemakers that have the afib programs have had varied success.  But they are improving medical technology every day.  I hope you have success with yours.  

St Jude Assurity

by Going Forward - 2018-08-16 17:21:45

This St Jude's model was just approved in the US a year ago though it has been used in Europe for several years. I appreciate your comment that after about a year or so yours reduced your afib burden by 80% or so. I also totally feel it when I'm in afib! I take a low dose of flecainide so maybe between the pacemaker and the flecainide there I'll notice some difference. The flecainide has prevented afib but I still get PACs and occasional tachycardia and constant bradycardia (sick sinus syndrome). 

I'm hoping that getting my HR up will get more blood and oxygen circulating so that I can handle more vigorous activity. If it can over-ride PACs and thus help prevent afib, that would be a wonderful bonus (I'd rather not increase the dose of flecainide). I do wonder what it will feel like when the PAC over-ride kicks in--maybe just like tachycardia? What is rate is yours set to kick in for bradycardia?

Yes, hopefully this model will be a technological advance. I know that my EP had been waiting for it to be approved in the States. 

Thanks for the feedback!

Tomorrow

by AgentX86 - 2018-08-17 01:21:48

Good luck tomorrow,  and going forward.  Be sure to let us know how it went.

st jude

by ck - 2018-08-20 19:47:54

I hve a st jude, but i had a av node ablation so im 100% dependent on pacemaker.  no mris for me.  no problem with pacemaker though.