r/PacemakerICD

I am having my last two weeks in my life pacemaker free.
Still wondering whether this is the right decision?
Talked many times with my EP's, holter monitor twice. My EP's said I should wear it because I had pauses >2 seconds, the longest is 10.5s. I have Afib. Sometimes HR on 50's BPM. I am 58F. Docs said I have AV node disfunction. Mostly asymptomatic. Do I really need it?

Hi all I’m really new to this. I was not expecting the diagnosis of having a pacemaker defibrillator put in. Nonetheless it’s happening next Friday. I have a pretty good size piece of property. I’m retired, but I’m out on the property all the time using lots of chainsaws, tractors, sawmill, as well as other tools, trimmers, blowers. I’m older 66 but very active. Will the chainsaws and tools cause issue if I keep them 12 inches away from my unit. I know it’s gonna sound crazy but it’s kind of a nonnegotiable for me when I gotta clear trees It has to be done.

So I've had a pacemaker since November last year... Can anyone else feel it kick in? Like a mini dynamo winding up in my chest is the best way I can explain it. I always know when it kicks on too, I can feel my heart struggle. Am I just weird or is this normal... FYI wife say's I'm the exception and not the rule, she might be right... Thanks in advance.

My SIL (35F) had cardiac arrest almost two weeks ago. It took several moments for a pulse to detected and in that time she had no oxygen to the brain and swelling appeared. The swelling has reduced and things are progressing extremely slowly. We are so worried about her and hoping to hear success stories about similar situations and hoping ahead will regain cognitive abilities. She’s showing signs of alertness but she’s intubated and having on and off fevers that require sedation which delays efforts to work on her recovery.

Hello folks,

I recently had a loop recorder installed and have been using the MCL Heart app as instructed. However, I recently bought a new phone only to find it's not compatible with the app. I'm not about to return it just for this app, but I was planning to keep the old phone anyway to use as an external HD.

My question is basically is it ok for the recorder to only connect with the app once or twice a day? The old phone will remain at home, I won't be taking it to work, but the recorder can connect with it when I get home.

The Medtronic site is terrible and has no info so hope someone here knows

Thanks in advance.

Good evening everyone, I am a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and I had an operation treated with ICD, CRT, D My question is this: Did someone get a tattoo, perhaps, on the side of the body opposite the surgery?

I’ve had my pacemaker for over a year and up until recently I was 100% paced on my upper chamber. Percentage pacing has dropped dramatically in last 3 months. To 2% paced! My other chamber always stayed steady at less then 1% paced. What is going on do y’all think? Electrophysiologist not worried.

I had my pacemaker put in in October, had the node ablation in the beginning of January. When I had my first follow up after the ablation, I had 12 years battery life. This week, it now says 11 years (so 7 months later).

What do you think the chances are that I will need a replacement before 10 years??? Is this something I should call the clinic about? Or wait and see when it drops to 10 years?

Hello,

Have any of you successfully gotten cardiac rehab after an ICD shock event? I am three months past mine, and I've been very guarded about getting my HR up. I've felt that cardiac rehab could help me build that confidence as I've always been decently active and feel lazy currently. I have also been told it may be tough to get insurance to approve it.

Background for me: 41 (F), two ablations done 10 years ago for SVT (WPW) and PVC. Loop recorder placed in 2024 for 1 year for dropping beats that lead to discovering a complete block that caused me to pass out and here I am now, 1 year in with a Leadless pacemaker.

Question: what does it feel like to be paced? I was asleep last night which is the time my heart rate always decreases. They’ve got my device to pass at below 40 bpm as my rate is usually 45-50 bpm when I sleep. I was woken up at midnight by the strangest feeling- like I couldn’t focus/ eyes felt crossed, i felt like I gasped and my fingers felt like I’d touched a live wire. First time that’s ever happened and I don’t have an appointment for a device check for 2 months. I made a note to ask when I go in but wondered if anyone has ever felt something similar.

am a 73 year old woman in good health, non-smoker, lifelong exerciser, weighing 136 lbs at 5’8”. I had a pacemaker implanted 16 years ago for complete heart block. Battery was replaced 2 years ago.
About a month ago, I received a call from my pacemaker clinic saying I had experienced a 16 second ventricular tachycardia at 11:30pm the night before and was I ok. By coincidence, around that time of night I was asleep and when my husband came into the bedroom he accidentally slipped and fell which startled me awake. Otherwise, I felt no symptoms. 

My electrophysiologist wanted to see me because my heart wall was last measured 14mm and, based on the VT 16 seconds episod, thought I should undergo an EP study with potential upgrad to a defibrillato. He explained I needed to make a choice between lead extraction or lead capping. I went home and thoor researched both options. I’m extremely frightened about lead extraction, but I understand leaving the leads in can cause more problem.

I would greatly appreciate ANY feedback!

Hello all, my father (80/m) had the TAVR procedure done on Friday at a highly reputable university hospital. The doctor performing the procedure has done over 700 of such procedures per year successfully. The original plan was for my dad to stay one night after the procedure for observation and I could pick him up today (Sunday).

In my dad’s case the procedure lasted double the amount of time anticipated (4 hours instead of 2 or less). I come to find out his femoral artery was pierced somehow to a point that a vascular surgeon needed to be called-in to hand-stitch the wound closed. My dad lost 2 pints of blood. We were told afterwards that this is extremely rare but does happen and that he needed to stay another day to make sure the stitching heals properly.

While he’s there recovering his heartbeat is also being monitored. It was determined my dad had a lower-than-normal heartbeat and that he was experiencing “heart block”. Heart block is a delay or interruption in the electrical signals traveling from the heart’s upper chambers to its lower. It is essentially an electrical malfunction that can cause a lower heart rate or skipped beats. So a temporary pacemaker was hooked up. They are now recommending a permanent pacemaker if his conduction system does not improve - there is still hope that it does. A determination will be made tomorrow (Monday).

In reading up on the pacemaker’s effectiveness after TAVR I’m seeing that in the short term it is effective. Long term effects are more questionable. According to studies I’ve researched some cases of permanent pacemakers inserted after TAVR increase the possibility of heart failure over time. I’m assuming because the heart depends on the pacer to beat and doesn’t rely on its own strength alone to beat, which would promote a strengthened heart.

If my dad’s heart conduction system does improve a bit and given a choice he is leaning towards asking for a heart monitor he can go home with and have constant monitoring instead of having a permanent pacemaker. If the monitor shows worsened heart block he can always go back to have the pacemaker installed. On the other hand perhaps his conduction system improves as his heart adjusts to the new valve and never looks back. The question I have is this too risky? I don’t want him going for a walk and feeling like he’s going to faint, or even sudden death. Any thoughts one can lend with experience would be greatly appreciated.

Off subject but for those in this sub who happen to be cardiologists could this heart block have been avoidable? I’m reading that the type of valve (balloon expanding vs self-expanding) and the surgeon’s ability to position the new valve the correct way (not interfering with the branch controlling heartbeat) could greatly impact the need for a post-TAVR permanent pacemaker. Again this is one of the nation’s best university hospitals and a very experienced surgeon. However between the heart block and the wound that was so severe that it needed to be closed by a specialist it leaves me wondering how “top-notch” this place really is.

I have just had a wireless pacemaker, implantation The EP wants me to take a nuclear stress test in a couple of weeks. Has anyone taken this test and what is he insisting that I take it

My dad's situation this weekend has got me super stressed

Age: 57

History:

1. MI back in 1999
2. ICD in 2016, due to scar tissue on LV. He was revived when he had an arrest while on TMT
3. Had a few shocks in between, finally ablated in 2019
4. No shocks these past 7 years. Only a couple of ATPs a year

Recent:

1. Things started acting up 2 months ago
2. Had an episode which escalated to VF with ~240 HR
3. Since Thursday,
   a) A 3 shock episode first
   b) Following which, he's been here at a center of excellence for Cardiac EP, they recommended a new ablation for Monday
   c) Took him off meds to simulate VT
   d) He had a VT storm for the first time on Saturday, 8 shocks
   e) Intubated, deeply sedated and currently in intensive care
   f) Sympathetic Denervation was planned but cancelled
4. Plan still on for 3D Ablation, but doc said going in through blood vessel might not be enough, since the lower part of LV has almost fully calcified now, so might need epicardial ablation which is higher risk
   a) Also mentioned, if VT simulation is not possible during ablation then might switch to substrate mapping
5. Previous ablation has been faultless for 7 years, but now doc says it might not be this time around. Expects to have occasional episodes now though
6. Also, wants to upgrade ICD to CRT-D a few days after ablation

Genuinely worried about QoL, outcomes over the next week and playbook for the long-term with all this uncertainty

I made a patient-friendly video explaining CRT-P, starting with normal electrical conduction, then showing what changes with LBBB and how biventricular pacing helps synchronize the ventricles.

I thought it might be useful for anyone who’s wondered what that third lead actually does.

For those with CRT devices—was this explained to you when you got yours?