Most Recent Messages in Batteries & Leads

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perforation

I received a St. Jude 5386 pm in December 2006. From the beginning I had something that felt like a "tic" at the pm site. The cardiologist and the tech told me it was just "settling in." It got worse over the year, and I learned to make it stop by holding my torso in a certain position. It got increasingly difficult to do that and a new sensation cropped up: it felt like a cell phone on "vibrate" only less intense, also at the pm site. 10 months after the implantation an impedance check was done...

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Smitty's Leads

From time to time we see questions about how pacemaker leads are held in place. I have seen answers that range from logical to "you have got to be kidding." In the Members Gallery have tried to post a picture of my leads that was made during the implant of a couple of stents. On what I think may be the ventricle lead you can plainly see a corkscrew like tip that I understand was literally screwed into the wall of my heart to keep the lead in place. If the picture is no posted, I'll try again...

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Changing Manufacturers

Hi Everyone!

I am 28 years old and have had my Guidant pacemaker since Jan 2002. At the time, I was so shocked to learn that I needed a pacemaker I did no research on what options I had and just took what the doctor offered. I found out on a Wednesday and had my surgery that Friday. After the recent negative news and recalls with Guidant (now Boston Scientific), I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to change pacemaker types without changing the leads into the heart? I...

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the fisherman

on 1-25-08 I had a pacemaker replacement. My first one was in from 6/2000 and battery life was nearing end. Had job done at NY Methodist Hosp (in Brooklyn,N.Y.). Excellant teamwork. No need to replace wires...still good. Unit is a St.Jude as was first and (thank God) never have had a problem. A St. Jude tech was there with his little black box to hook up to me and keep me going (I'm 100% dependant) while the exchange was made. Anesthesia was great...don't even remember going out.Total tim...

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fractured or broken Leads

My Doctor just recently told me that I may have a broken lead, which causes a small palpitation (lose capture) when I make some sudden movements. He's going to check me out next week. Has Anyone had this problem? When leads fracture, at what section do they fracture? I hope it's not inside the heart. My HR is 30 bpm with out the pacemaker.

Thanks,
Pete

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Guidant

How do you know if the Guidant Pacemaker you have just had installed is one that is being recalled. Apart from looking at the serial numbers that attach to the leads.

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atrial lead not working

'Just returned from my pacemaker clinic. I mentioned to the technition that I was feeling terribly fatigued, and perhaps she'd find the answer to my problem. She soon replied that the atrial lead to my bi- lead pacemaker, (the lead that did the work of pacing my heart when it needed it), is not functioning at all. It will need to be replaced. My question is: I live in a small town. The general surgeon can perform this type of surgery. However, I have no idea how serious this surgery is. Anothe...

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Thank You

I would just like to thank you all for your advise/support it has reassured me, alittle! This pacemaker is a St Jude Identy ADx DR 5380, are they known for short battery life?

The only thing now is that I am worried incase it is a damaged lead that is causing the pacemaker to work harder and therefore use battery life.

My leads are the ones put in 10yrs ago ( with 1st pacemaker), wont they have tissue around them or be inbedded to the side of my heart or vein?
<...

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Lead Extraction

Can anyone give me information on lead extractions?
My situation is....I am 34 with my third implant. I will be having my fourth implant within the next couple months. I was also told that I have no more room for leads in my upper chamber as I have one active with two "old inactive" leads. So a lead extraction will need to be done. Since they are doing the upper chamber they will also remove the one "old inactive" lead in my lower chamber. Being only 13 when I had my first pacemaker implan...

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Planning for travel with low batter

I was told that I would need new battery within next few months. My doctor said insurance company would not pay for change of pacemaker until it goes into power save mode. I gather from this great website that I will know when this happens. Is it true that you have to go into this mode and not feel well before insurance pays? Second question, I have trips planned - golfing and hiking. How do I make decisions about whether to go in March? thanks in advance for ideas.

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lead wire

No such thing as a dumb question? O.K. here goes one. Does the lead wire go thru a vein or just under the skin directly to the heart and hook up there? and how? After your answer, I won't have to wonder. :) aldeer

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Time to Battery Change

I'm a new PM user, received on 11/1. I've had a few problems with response to exertion but now seem to have settled into a reasonably smooth symbiotic relationship with it (Guidant Insignia Ultra)

My question is how long until the battery fails. I've been told between 5 and 7 years. I've seen longer times quoted on the site. What's your actual experience? Anyone less than 5 years? It might be helpful if you indicate the type pacemaker and indication for it's placement.

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End of battery

How can you tell when the battery changes modes? Dr. said something about staying at 65 beats/minute?

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New pm and lead

About a year into my pm, a problem developed with my lead where it took 3 times the energy to work as needed. The result was that the pm ran out of juice after 3 1/2 years. A chest x-ray showed no obvious clues as to what happened.

Since there was a problem with the lead and I'm relatively young at 46, my dr and decided to remove and replace the old lead when it was time to replace my pm. Which we did this morning.

I checked into he hospital in burbank at 6:00 AM and t...

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retire

can i tell if a lead is off
thank you

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Anxiety about my pacemaker

I wanted to say that I am new and this site is great. I wish I would have found it 2 yrs ago but at that time I was in denial about the pacemaker. Since then I have had this fear that my battery will die or my leads will come loose and I will drop dead.
Am I the only one that feels that way? Last week I was called and told to go to the ER immediately. They had read the holter that I wore the week earlier and found several pauses. They cant beleive I never passed out. The chance of me drop...

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My lead

So got an echo and it states: concentric left ventricular hpertrophy, moderate aortic stenosis, severe tricuspid insufficiency with evidence of a pacemaker wire extending across the tricuspid valve. ( Among other findings as well) Now this is all new compared to my last one a year ago that stated:
mild aortic stenosis, mild tricuspid insuff. with pacer wire noted to the RV apex.
Now my question. Should my lead be laying across my tricuspid valve like that? Seems very odd to me..
...

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Recovering after Lead Extraction

I got home Thursday after having my surgery on Wednesday. They wanted to remove all the leads in the vessel where the fractured lead was, only they weren't successful. The two hours scheduled procedure took over 5 hours. The fractured lead was easy to remove, but the other two had tissue grown around them and were attached to the thinnest portion of my aorta. They gently tried, but were not successful with extracting them. Then they put in a third lead because my ejection fraction (the % of...

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medtronic recall leads

I have posted on this subject before but am still wondering what to do as I am hearing (from doctors, friends, news and here) that more and more people are experiencing problems with medtronic fractured leads. As I no longer have insurance, I am anxious about how I would pay to have a lead replaced and how dangerous it would be. The person I spoke to from medtronic didn't seem to want to help out at all and I am strongly leaning toward filing a claim against the company. No, it is not what I...

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guidant vitality replacement

My husband has a guidant vitility a155 which suddenly has a depleted battery. He is due to have it replaced Jan. 7. If you hear a beeping please make sure that you get it checked. I had to argue with the clinic to get them to check his Icd thank god I did.

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You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker interferes with your electronic scale.

Member Quotes

Your anxiety is normal. It takes some of us a little time to adjust to the new friend. As much as they love you, family and friends without a device just cannot understand the adjustment we go through. That is why this site is so valuable.