Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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LEADS AND SETTINGS

I have a Medtronic PM with one (1) lead. What determines one lead or two?? I have my PM checked as schedules and have my stress test, as required.

The settings on my PM have never been adjusted, 7 years old. I have questioned this several times, but my question is just fluffed off.

I am 75 years old, have always been very active, but now I am so tired ALL OF THE TIME that I can't stay awake, or even function. Would adjusting the settings help, or having another lead...

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Lead Wire Extracted

I recently had a specialist at the Houston Methodist Hospital extract wires from my heart and replace my dual chamber pacemaker. It has been 6 weeks now. I am still wearing a sling at night and not raising my elbow higher than my heart.
No one seems to tell me exactly when I can start raising my arm about my head and get back to normal.
Curious if lead wire extraction has a longer hearling time.
Welcome all comments.

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New ICD old leads

It appears one of the leads, implanted 71/2 years ago, is broken or not working. I've been told that it's a big deal trying to remove leads implanted so long ago. I would REALLY like to avoid my third open-heart surgery. Has anyone here had experienced removal of older leads? Is it possible to bypass the old lead and thread the new one through another vein? Any comments are welcomed. I see my doc tomorrow morning.

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My story

Hey pacer buddies,

Just wanted to share my story and opinions with everyone.

First my background.

I am a 25 year old male with complete congenital heart block. I had my first sub pectoral pacemaker implanted at 12 years old, a battery replacement at 21 and now currently sitting in a hospital bed for a battery and lead replacement due to a pinched ventricular lead waiting for my third surgery. Luckily my own heart rate is 40 and I managed to walk around for 3 w...

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batteries left in place

Just found your club and have been avidly reading the postings. I am a congentital heart defect (TGA) survivor having had the atrial switch surgery at 14 months old. I got my first PM at 18 yrs and have had 2 more since, original leads still in, just battery replacements. Curious if anyone else have had their old batteries left in as I have three now in various parts of my body. Due to the complex anatomy of my heart the batteries cannot be situated in the clavical area. I worry they will...

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Can too many leads cause symptoms?

I have not felt well since I had surgery for a lead fracture 2 months ago. The doctor did not remove the fractured lead and just added a new one. I now have 3 leads for my dual chamber pacer. 2 active leads and one not. I have yet to bounce back from this surgery and feel completely exhausted. I get a lot of fullness in my chest and a lot of palpitations. My heart seems to be going a lot faster than usual and even races up to 170 bpm's when I am asleep. I read the surgical report and there were...

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Mae

To answer questions pertaining to pain? I know that the new pacemaker is larger than the one I had, so I am guessing that is why it hurts much more than the first one.

I go to get my bandages taken off today and I have a few questions to ask. So if I come up with some new answers, I will let you all know.

My pain after surgery was a strong 8, now it is a mid 5. At one point I could hardly move my left arm. I have been trying to stretch it more and more. I try to think...

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Lead extraction wires outside heart

I have a Medtronic dual chamber PM, implanted on the 30th of July. This is my 4th PM, first one was implanted in 1996 by an EP where I was awake. That's a whole different story. The last three I have had a Thorasic Surgeon do my pacemaker implants. They take me to the OR, put me under, and go to work. My pacemaker is in my abdomin, so I have an incision about 5 inches long between my breast and for the third time in this area. My pacer is placed just below my left rib cage and the two wires are...

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2nd Attempt

This is my second pacemaker since February 2010. Battery went bad after 2 1/2 years. Both I have are from Medtronic. My second one I just had put in on July 3, 2012. Bigger and much more painful than my first one. The old one was model number P1501DR. This new one is model ADDRL1. Lets see how long this one can last. I am very frustrated to have to have this replaced so soon. I guess I should be happy I am alive.

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can i ask for help?

anyone know's a foundation that could help me for my son's lead for his pacemaker? please help us.....

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accident

Hi all, I have a concern..I recently got my pm on july 17th and have to go bk to dr on aug 13 for post op and probably some adjustment on my settings, my problem is a couple of times I wasn't thinking and I accidently raised my arm above my head and now I'm hoping that I have not damaged any leads..is there anyway to tell if everything is still ok :(

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Newbie

Yes, thank you all for encouraging words here. I am 21 days out from having my pacemaker in. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I am trying to stay positive. I too have children and grandchildren, and want to be around for a long time. I climbed stairs for the first time tonight since surgery and had heart fluttering a good bit. Kinda surprised me. My sister gave me a gift tonight. A book titled" God Always Has A Plan B". So, life is always about choices. I'm gonna choose to live this season of my...

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Lead replacement

Hi, I'm new here and was hoping for find a little information. I had my pacemaker implanted when I was 18 ( 15 years ago) for complete heart block with no AV junction function leaving me dependent on the device. I have had the generator replaced 3 times but now I have been told that it's time to consider placing new leads as I'm told they usually last about 15 years before they start to malfunction, and cannot take the risk that they might break. My question is has anyone had experience with cha...

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Left Atrial Lead

Does anyone have one? My doctors are talking about moving my atrial pacing to the left side. When I had the pacer put in a month ago it took almost 3 hours because they couldn't find a spot that would take in the atrium. They finally found one and when I left the hospital the lead was looking fantastic. Now It's been 5 weeks and every week the lead has gotten worse. I randomly have episodes where it's not capturing and they keep uping the voltages. Now I am to the point where my battery will not...

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Medtronic Device & Leads Reliability

I have a medtronic device and recently found this site that goes through each of their products and gives statistics on their reliability and field performance...thought a few others out there may be interested as well.

If you want to look up your leads, but dont know what kind you have, trying looking at one of your interrogation print outs, I found mine on one of the device summary pages.

http://wwwp.medtronic.com/productperformance/generator/family/ICD.html

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New leads

Hi all. I haven't posted on here for a while. I posted last after I had some complicated surgery but I won't go through it again :) feeling much more positive than I was a while ago, still have down days but not so often.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had to have their wires placed on the outside of the heart instead of through the SVC veinand whether they had had any complications? I lifted something that was a bit heavy for me a week ago (lesson learnt the hard way as got take...

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Lead displacement

Hi!

Firstly I would like to thank whoever has put together this forum wherein everyone associated/connected (directly/indirectly or thru a Lead!)to a cardio-verter. It is quite informative.

I'm 38, Rheaumatoid Arthritis patient since 1996, morbidly obese (appx 230Lbs) , HTN since 2008. Yep, Bio's quite impressive.

Was diagnosed with an InfraHisian 2:1 AV block in my pumping station. Got a dual chamber MRI compatible pacemaker (Biotronik) implanted on the 12th J...

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Third Lead

Its now my first year anniversary of my Medtronic dual chamber pacemaker which paces 98 percent of the time. There is a diagreement between the cardiologist and the electrophysiologist who implanted the device. The cardiologist thinks I need a third lead inserted to better syncronize the chambers. The surgeon does not think this would help. Anyone have to go back to get an additional lead inserted?

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Battery Life Expectancy of Medtronic 2005?

I have an Enpulse DR Model # e2DR01AA. I could've sworn I'd heard/read/been told that the battery life was 5-7 years. I'm at 7 years 3 months right now. I'm not insured and just moved, so I don't have a pacer clinic. I called to make an appointment -- I've finally raised the $400, but they said it would be a month. I was sorta freaked, but they said pacers last ten years on average.

Is that true of the 2005 EnPulse? It's dual-chamber; I'm paced 15% lower and 30% upper.

Than...

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Hi all-

So I just went to my doctor who recommended that I get my old leads extracted when I get my new device put in within the year as there is 'noise' (interference) noted in one of the leads. I have had the leads since my first implantation when I was 18. I'm 33 now and very concerned that this is a potentially horrendous idea (I have been good for the past 10 years) considering the hugh amount of scar tissue that has made these leads very much a part of my body. I have read a lot about it, and am...

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You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker receives radio frequencies.

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