Pacemaker Question

Howard Slomer said:

I had a pacemaker implanted on February 12th.
Everything was working fine when they checked the
pacemaker two weeks after the surgery. I could
feel the effect of the pacemaker on my heart when
they tested it in the hospital the day after the
surgery and during the two week checkup.

Recently, during the last two weeks or so I
occasionally feel the same sensation. Does this
sound normal or is it something I should be
concerned about?

It is not normal but it is not a serious concern either.

Quoted message said:

I'm due for another checkup later this month. One
of the comments made by the technician at the last
checkup was that they would lower the pulsing
voltage at the next checkup because the
conductivity of the leads improves with time as
the scar tissue grows over the leads where they
connect to the heart muscle.

Might this be why I recently started to feel the
same sensations?

Yes. The voltage output probably should be decreased so that
your symptoms would be relieved. If you are particularly
bothered by your pacemaker, you can inform your cardiologist
who would likely move up you pacemaker reprogramming for
threshold testing with probable lowered voltage output.

Quoted message said:

Th
an
ks
in
ad
va
nc
e

You are welcome, Howard.

Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

**
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Is this spam?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Howard. I am a pacemaker coordinator for a large cardiology
group. I through I would take a few moments to explain what
has been done and what the technician was refering to in as
you have discribed in your post. After the initial implant
the voltage needed to trigger your heart beat is high
because of inflamation. The newer leads with steriods that
they use today lessen the problem but it still exists to a
lessor extent. This voltage is called output. As the tissue
around the lead heals, inflamation goes is reduced and scar
tissue forms around the lead. When this happens the amount
of output or voltage to cause your heart beat to respond
decreases. The life span of a pacemaker will vary by the
amount of time that you are being paced by the pacemaker and
the amount of power needed to drive your heart. For this
reason, when you are checked the techincians do a threshold
check which measures the amount of power needed to pace your
heart. The next step is to leave a safty margin so that if
there is a fluctuation in that number due to medications,
tissue changes or for other causes you will have adaquate
protection. During this testing patients may note the
changes in heart beats and heart rates. One of the tests
will be to slow the pacer down to measure your own rhythm.
If your own rhythm is very slow you might feel the change.
Another these increases the heart rate of the pacer so that
the pacer will continuously pace your heart and the power
used to pace it is reduced gradually until the point of no
capture. Some patients feel that. It am willing to guess
that this testing is what you felt. We do this in all post
op checks and twice a year in the office. This optimizes
your pacemakers life.While the changes made just two weeks
are minimal buy the time you are three months post insertion
the power can be minimized.

Now to why you are having this sensation. I know nothing
about you. I do not know the reason for your paper
insertion. While an occasional sensation might be from
high output as Dr Chung has mentioned. Usually the patient
has stimulation of a muscle or pocket or complains of
heart pulsing heart beat. What you are discribing in your
note sounds more like a dysrhythmia from your own heart
beat. During your next pacer check let the technician know
what you were feeling. Pay attention to how often you felt
it and If you can a few times that you have felt it.
Pacemakers today will say and count episodes of these
arrhythmias like atrial fib, SVT, VT and with the help of
medications the Dr will be able to treat these high rate
abnormalies with the protection of your pacemaker against
the lower rates. Never feel embarrased and always let you
MD know of your concerns. Hope the information clears some
of the questions up or at least explains it in a way that
will put your mind at ease. Good night

"Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yes. The voltage output probably should be decreased so
that your symptoms would be relieved. If you are
particularly bothered by your pacemaker, you can inform
your cardiologist who would likely move up you pacemaker
reprogramming for threshold testing with probable lowered
voltage output.

Is it common to have pacemaker threshold testing done
periodically? My dad has had a pacemaker for about a year
now, and I think this has never had this done.

He has monthly checks via the phoneline, but I don't think
this is a threshold test.

Is this something to ask about?

Thanks,

Kathy

Kathy said:

"Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message news:<af9ff19f42b762d4ee4bd4acb99af50e@n-
ews.teranews.com>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yes. The voltage output probably should be decreased so
that your symptoms would be relieved. If you are
particularly bothered by your pacemaker, you can inform
your cardiologist who would likely move up you pacemaker
reprogramming for threshold testing with probable
lowered voltage output.

Is it common to have pacemaker threshold testing done
periodically?

Yes.

Quoted message said:

My dad has had a pacemaker for about a year now, and I
think this has never had this done.

He has monthly checks via the phoneline, but I don't think
this is a threshold test.

It isn't.

Quoted message said:

Is this something to ask about?

Yes. The benefit is that often the battery life can be
extended so that the pacemaker will last longer. Moreover,
many benefit from an optimization of the settings which can
only be done with formal pacemaker interrogation that
includes threshold testing.

Quoted message said:

Thanks,

You are welcome, Kathy.

--
Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

**
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Is this spam?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗