Pacemaker generator change
Common Questions and Answers about Pacemaker generator change
pacemaker
can I keep my leads stay intact, with the high-voltage lead in my right ventricle simply being used as a second pacemaker lead? Obviously I'm hoping I won't need a new lead, & am trying to avoid an added lead in the vein or (ouch) extracting & replacing the RV lead.
I've looked & looked and read about generator changes, but can't find this, and I'm not scheduled to see an EP for a looong time.
I'm having what the doctor referred to as a "generator repair" on my pacemaker next Tuesday. How long does this usually take? What other complications might be found?
Under local anesthesia, the incision is opened, the generator is detached from the leads and thrown away, a new generator is attached, and the incision is then closed.
The replacement procedure is typically shorter and simpler than the original installation of the pacemaker. Once you are in the lab being prepped for the procedure, external pacing pads are placed...I wouldn't worry about your heart stopping.
Best of luck with your procedure!
The fact that your pacemaker generator is only lasting 6 or 7 years to me means that you must be in a paced rhythm fairly frequently-- sometimes they can set the lower rates lower then they were previously set so that you won't pace as often, which may help the generator life although sometimes you cannot do that.
Hi, I am a 76 yr old female who is 100% dependent on my St June 2210 pacemaker/generator. It was implanted at the end of 2009, and after the initial healing/ caution period, I can say I have lived and slept without problems. I get a little short of breath when I walk too fast, or lift something a little heavy, but I'm no kid anymore so I can't blame the pacemaker. As for sleeping, I sleep on my left side (same side as the unit) about 80% of the time and have never had a problem.
I had a pacemaker inserted back in December.I now am not certain that this was the right decision my question is will the pacemaker cause other problems to my heart?
A pacemaker is most assurredly not a defibrillator. What most people call a pacemaker is a pulse generator the supplies small electrical pulses to either the ventricles or atria or both to trigger a heart beat. It runs at low voltage and generally very low current. Also most people's pulse generator runs on an as-needed basis to control bradiacardia - i.e. slow heartbeat.
im 19 year old and i go for a pacemaker on the 27th of this month and i was wondering what the possability is of my body rejecting the pace maker as my body has rejected my belly button piercing and etc, and if my body does reject the pacemaker what are the possible things that could happen, other than my complete hear block and am healthy
When my Pacemaker "kicks" in this cause my shoulder to twitch rather forcefully. Now it is running down my arm and into my fingers.
this is rather exhausting. Should I be concerned
Thank you for your help.
Dear Shabna,
The reason that there are 2 incisions for the pacemaker placement is that your child is an infant, which means that the pacemaker is an epicardial pacemaker system. This means that the pacemaker leads have to be attached to the outside of the heart, and this is separate from the placement of the pacemaker generator in the abdomen. Your father, as an adult with large blood vessels, has a transvenous pacemaker system.
My pacemaker is ten years old, has two leads. I am 68 years old. One of the leads has problem with the insulation and started to suck up too much battery so they shut it off. I have Sick Sinus Node and AFib. The doctor wants to run the battery down before replacing it. There is supposed to be 4 years left on the battery, and I pace 35% of the time.
Obviously, this decision has to be balanced with the understanding that it will be a lifelong requirement, and neither the pacemaker generator nor the leads will last forever, so trying to go as long as you can without is certainly desirable. Yet, with these findings, you may only buy him 6-12 extra months and, meanwhile, it may put him at a bit of risk of suddenly developing complete atrioventricular block.
To all who wished me good thoughts over my pacemaker "generator" replacement. It does sound more impressive than "battery" !! I'm told I have the very latest in technology and can now be "found" by the new system that "reads" your pacemaker without you having to "phone home" and do the telephone game; alas I had to burst the pacemaker rep's bubble and remind her that I am only near a "landline" in the winter.....
Unfortunately he has one of the recalled leads. He had the generator replaced in 2/09 and was told the lead was not broken. Four weeks later he received four shocks and went to the ER. The defibrillator was turned off with the pacer still working. Now the doc wants to replace the lead. This is causing a lot of anxiety and my husband would like to just keep the defibrillator turned off. Three months ago he had a spontaneous subdural bleed and recovered well from that surgery.
I do not believe a pacemaker in-and-of-itself can cause a change in personality. However, the fact that one needs a pacemaker may be depressing emotionally and also cause anxiety. I am only 75 (compared to 91) and I know dealing with aging is difficult at best... I men when one feels "good" as can be expected (of course less than desired).
You may want to try a post on Senior Health or on Anxiety.
7 indicating a very great liklihood that ablation and cardioversion was going to fix my atrial fib, I elected to go the final step and have a pulse generator (pacemaker) installed and my av node disconnected. They worked me in and by Friday evening I had an uncomfortable lump in my left chest. Saturday morning they worked me in the queue and I had the final ablation. My atria can do what they please, my ventricles no longer care.
It is more common as we get older but my EP tells me I am far and away not the youngest person in whom he has impanted a pulse generator (pacemaker). His PA told me that they have implanted devices in children not yet in school.
Please go to see a Dr. And please let us know how you are doing. Hopefully it's nothing serious and just the result of being young and burning the candle at both ends.
A Sophia Arabella is a beautiful name! It makes her sound like a little princess. If you're set on Grace or Gracie as the first name, what may work is to use Gracie, because it's another syllable to add...what would you call it...I guess you could say flavor to the name if you will. To make it sweeter and flow and have all the parts work together like in a recipe you could say. And a longer middle name may work with it or not, it depends on your personal likes.
The last medication he took was in the Hospital so his abrupt lasting change in personality is the pacemaker. He admits he is not the same due to feeling weak, lightheaded at times and needing lots of rest. He understands he is not able to drive due to the change and onset dementia from his heart weakening to 30 beats per minute. His pacemaker is set at 60 beats per minute now. His hands were like ice before the surgery but now they are warm and his color is good now too.
When I went back for a 2nd ablation my EP and I talked about everything and I realized that if I was to have any chance of leading anything like a normal life I needed to get a pulse generator (commonly called a pacemaker) implanted. One year ago I did that.
For me the upsides outweigh the downsides. But it still is a downer. As I said originally, even though there folks worse off than I am, there are many who are better off. People whose hearts have NOT betrayed them.
I don't believe a pacemaker is used to control AFib. Perhaps your father has other heart problems. The most common use for a pacemaker is to keep the heart from beating too slow, or stopping. Some times a PM is used when the heart electrical system has to be totally shut down, in which case there would be no AFib or other arrhythmia, but this is not done to my knowledge, to control AFib.
i had 3 open heart surgery and on my 2nd. pacemaker.. my first pacemaker last me for 18yrs. and just got my 2nd. pacemaker Dec.2006.. my pacemaker was implanted in my upper chest on the right side.. only thing i hate the surgery doctor told me he would use the same cut as the other pacemaker but when i woke up he cut me in another spot.. well i can say.. ask your doctor his he using the same cut as the first pacemaker was in..
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