pacemaker procedure risks

My mother-in-law, who will be 95 is April, was recently hospitalized has several episodes of arrhythmia at the hospital. the doctor recommends a pacemaker. What are the pros and cons of someone her age to have a pacemaker implanted?

It sounds like some patients are less well after the procedure than before the procedure. Are there national efforts to collect data on patient outcomes so that risks can continue to be lowered and outcomes can improve and be uniform?

I assume you are referring to the risks involved with the pacemaker. You should be aware of your surrondings and devices that may interfere with the pulse generation. Because it is pulse generation, interference can cause irreguar heartbeats that could be serious.

EP tells me this tachy is coming from my sinus node. I am aware of the risks of the surgery and am not sure I am ready for a permanent pacemaker. Anyone out there that could offer some experience/advice? Thank you!!!

I have read that SVT attacks can result in stroke or sudden death, but I have also read many reports of the procedure not working/making matters worse, or of the possibility of needing a pacemaker. I want to be as informed as possible about potential risks involved before making this decision. Thank you.

Aside from the collapsed lung which happened to you, other risks during pacemaker procedure include swelling, bleeding, bruising, or infection in the area where the pacemaker was placed or blood vessel or nerve damage. It is important to have regular follow-up appointment with your doctor. He or she will want to check your pacemaker and monitor your response. Take care and keep us posted.

I know from researching on-line that this is a relatively quick and simple procedure with minimal risks. Both my dad and I are nervous about the procedure. I am hoping I can receive some positive reassurances that this is the right thing for him to do to improve his quality of life. My dad is stubborn and thinks he does not have too long to live so why bother with the procedure.

I'd ask him why not just put in the pacemaker and skip the rest. I just put a question on the forum myself about something similar. I have no problem with getting a pacemaker. I really can't see messing with ablation which may or may not work when I know a pacemaker will work and stop messing around with tests. Maybe pacemakers are as good as I think they are, but my mother lived a very long life because of one. She sure felt better too.

Low energy. Should I undergoe a full maze procedure (little confidence) or a pacemaker. My heart rate is usually low 40's when not in tachycardia. Would my ventrical beat keep me alive if pacemaker failed. Is this risky?

Hello, my father (early 60s) is on an ICD. His cardiologist wants to make the heart completely dependent upon the pacemaker, as the medicines my father is on aren't working. Unfortunately, I was unable to sit in on the meeting between my father and the cardiologist. My question to you is this - do you know the name of the procedure that would fully sever the nerves which incite the heart to beat?

Your story ads credibility to the concern that the ablation procedure carries risks. My Cardo and the consulting EP refuse to do an ablation on my permanent AFib saying my symptoms are not severe enough to justify the risks associated with AFib ablation.

This seems like a very difficult situation for you and your family. The best way to begin addressing this question is to ask your cardiologist whether your mother is "pacemaker dependent" or not. Pacemaker dependent means that the heart is reliant on the pacemaker, and without it, the heart cannot pump fast enough to meet the demands of the body. (There are others who need the pacemaker infrequently as a "back-up", for the rare times when the heart rate slows down).

She has to be careful to know what to avoid with having a pacemaker. High power lines can actually cause the pacemaker to stop working and then she would need to get another one.

Is it safe to have an MRI procedure following bypass surgery? I understand there are metal wires used to repair the sternum and am concerned about the MRI magnet.

She should not have the cardioversion until the clot is gone as it could embolize (move) and cause a stroke. Likely a pacemaker would be a fairly simple procedure with minimal risks. At age 93 the main goal of therapy should always be to improve the quality of life with as minimal risk as possible. Talk to your mother and see if she can help with this difficult problem.

I do not know of any reason to apply a pacemaker for the treatment of AFib unless it is accompanied by bradycardia (Not sure that is possible). A pacemaker is used to stimulate more heartbeats, not cancel some out... that's my understanding, if wrong I hope someone will correct me. I too am in "rate control" (I take both a beta blocker and a calcium channel blocker) and "blood clot mitigation" (take warfarin with a target INR of 2 to 3).

should I get a pacemaker, and what are the risks with lead removal and how can I lessen that risk, and will getting the pacemaker shorten my lifespan (even with the prevention of SA)? Thank you for any advice...

when I was last in hospital, an 87 year old man in the bed next to me had a pacemaker fitted. Before the procedure, he could hardly walk, even using a frame, and was always panting/going dizzy. Within one day of the procedure he was walking without the frame and wasn't panting. His colour returned to normal and I was totally shocked and blown away by the transformation.

Hi Jim! I too am having an ablation done (on 4/22). In my research I have read that the risks of complication are less than 1%!!! That sounds good to me! My EP guy did say that there is always a risk that something could go wrong but it so very rare. Did you ask your doc about it? What did he say?

For sure something has to be done for your father, so if he is afraid of surgery or complications, get him to one of the places I mentioned (not that the procedure is without risks: they all have risks). Good luck!

Immediately prior to the pacemaker implant, the heart rate drops were occurring several times per week. Getting my pacemaker properly adjusted was very difficult and I changed Cardio EPs three times, involving very much of trial and error on their part. I've read that 2nd degree, type 2 can eventually become 3rd degree and a complete heart block. Complete heart block can cause sudden cardiac death. That is why I agreed to the pacemaker implant.

Was sent to the heart hospital where two stents, one bare metal and one drug eluding, were implanted in the LAD. Five days later a pacemaker/defibrillator was implanted. The next week I was hospitalized for a blood clot near the area of the implant, then back into hospital for AFib, after which I had an infected right arm from the IV. Three months ago I had a very infected left breast, also many cysts-- which is not unusual for me. One small one has debris, and a needle biopsy was recommended.

Are you on antiplatelet medication? I assume based on having a pacemaker there are inherent risks of blood clots and you are taking antiplatelet medication. It seems the biggest problem with tats and a heart condition are the blood thinners involved. A good artist will not tattoo anyone on aspirin...excessive bleeding washes out the ink and there are other technical problems.

I have experience with this procedure. I had one after having 4 ablations for AFib and AFlutter. My AVJ (av node) was performed in March 2009. It was the best decision I have made and I would do it all over again. I had just turned 60 when I went through the procedure. I already had a pacer so I did not have to have one implanted at the time. I have since had the pacer switched out as it was time to do so. I am 100% paced and have very little difficulty doing anything I wish to do.

I've had 3 ablations but not for a-fib. It was for PSVT although they did find a-flutter when they got in there the first time. It seems the procedure may vary a bit from cardiologist to cardiologist. In general, you go in, they start an IV (the worst part in my opinion), they take you into the cath lab and hook up a bunch of leads and such (sticky dots and all).

Pacemaker procedure risks

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