Pacemaker risks and benefits
Common Questions and Answers about Pacemaker risks and benefits
pacemaker
My mother is 83. She has had irregular heartbeat for nearly 20 years and had a pacemaker implanted 3 years ago. Her last echogram showed her EF to be 20% and she has had several episodes of congestive heart failure. She is physically run down.....weight loss, loss of muscle, not to mention depression. Her cardiologist wants to implant a biventricular pacemaker. I am wondering if the benefits will out weigh the risks at this point.
I have a pacer and I am on coumadin because I also have AFib. If I did not, I would not be on coumadin.
My mother had her pacemaker changed. She is on coumadin and that was not stopped before the surgery. She has formed a large hemotobin at the sight. A pressure pack and ice have been applied. It has been 3 days since surgery, and her breast nipple has come enlarged and red. Bruising is around the side of her body. Could this be from the blood moving down?
My son had his icd implanted when he was 23 because of cardiac sudden death. He plays football, sand volleyball and many other sports, all without issues. He just had his battery changed out in January and he was back playing volleyball in 3 or 4 weeks. If, during the EP study, they find the spot causing the issue, they may be able to ablate it, which would be good for your son and he may not need a pacemaker.
Is this an assignment for grade?
I have been diagnosed in the past with generalized anxiety disorder and Panic Disorder. I am 20 weeks pregnant and have taken 2 mg of Xanax 3 times a week for as long as I can remember. Doctors tell me the benefits outweigh the risks of taking this medication. But I wan't to do what is right, I don't eat right, I'm self-destructive and I'm incapable of being happy when I'm anxious and without the medication. I also have anxiety attacks weekly without the medication.
t need the pacemaker yet, but to avoid the chance of the thing getting worse and resulting in a stroke or worse I will be getting a pacemaker.
I have been told that I can expect the battery to last for 6-7 years based on expected usage. I did learn that at one time there were batteries that lasted much longer and some for life. Are there any of these available, either in this country or elsewhere.
I usually do not recommend surgery unless the vision is worse than 20/50. If this is the case, then discuss the risks and benefits with your surgeon. Usually macular holes don't get better on their own past a certain stage and will cause permanent vision decrease if they stay in place for too long. Discuss all these points with your surgeon.
Implantable loop recorder, pacemaker, and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) are all cardiac devices placed under the skin in the chest but serve different purposes. Implantable loop recorder is only a diagnostic monitor. Pacemaker monitors and regulates heart rate. AICD monitors for abnormal rhythms and shocks to correct them.
Sometimes, with medications, we have to weigh the benefits of you taking the medication against the risks that it may cause for your baby. Sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks and sometimes the risks outweigh the benefits. Only you, your ob/gyn and your psychiatrist can decide this. I think that you should sit down with your doctors and go through the medication list and decide together what is appropriate for you.
A pregnancy Category C medicine may still be given to pregnant women if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh the possible risks to the unborn child.
In animal studies, when rabbits were given Cymbalta during early pregnancy, the baby rabbits weighed less. When rats were given Cymbalta during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the baby rats weighed less and were less likely to survive.
I think you should have a long talk with your psychiatrist about this. Ask them to schedule you for an hour at least to talk in depth about the risks and benefits of different meds. I would guess that the first step would be to try you on something that's reasonably safe in pregnancy, and make sure it's actually keeping you stable.
2) What can we do to avoid/minimize the risks or what precautions should be taken before and during delivery?
3) Do we need Pacemaker specialist available during pregnancy?
4) What kind of tests she can undergo to ascertain that everything is going fine?
Your guidance and help is hightly appreciated.
Thank you!
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