Did anyone else need a pacemaker?

[Gnusgal]

i have a question: If you're completely dependant on a pacemaker, how does it know you're doing strenuous activity? Does it sense that your ventricles need to pump harder somehow?

In my case, only the ventricles are 100% dependent on the pacemaker. So the pacemaker "listens" to my atria and responds accordingly to speed up the ventricles. HOWEVER, there is also a "feature" (one I happen to hate) that has a motion sensor of sorts, for those who need it for the atria as well. If it feels your body "bouncing" it assumes you're walking or exerting yourself in some way and increases your heart rate. The docs swear by it, but the two times I've had it turned on I've HATED it. The first time I had to ride a bus to downtown for jury duty and the bumpiness of the bus had my HR at 120 the whole way! They claim it shouldn't do that if it's set right, but since my HR increases on its own with exercise, I prefer to let it handle that side of things!

 

[Bonzo Dog]

Fifteen years of pacemaker experience here. Several dual chamber fitted in the past, now a simpler motion sensing model is in situ.

After removal, I kept the first one as a momento, with an idea to use it as a leftfield conversation object, mounted in a little display case on the mantlepiece. SWMBO soon vetoed that wacky idea.

Trauma and damage to the Bundle of His is a not unusual side effect of aortic valve surgery. The Bundle can either fully or partially recover. Permanent pacing is often needed to effect a full recovery.

 

[SusanC54]

Cost of pacemakers

Cost of pacemakers

Hi All,
My recently retired sister decided to spend the winter in Naples, Florida for the first time and following an episode of fainting and severe diverticulits she was hospitalized there. While in the hospital it was discovered that she needed a pacemaker (she thought everybody faints and was astounded to find out that no one else in our family has ever fainted, particularly not multiple times as she has). Anyway, she was in the hospital for 8 days, primarily getting the diverticulitis infection under control, but also having the pacemaker implanted.

Her hospital bill for 8 days was $120,000!!!!! My open heart surgery was only $93,000........she asked for an itemized bill and discovered that she was charged $60,000 for the pacemaker (the device only).....now we are thinking this is either a mistake or hospital charges in Florida are outrageous. My valves cost $6000 apiece....I know the pacemaker is a little computer, but with the cost of laptops coming down so much, can a pacemaker really cost $60,000??????

Does anyone else out there know how much their pacemaker cost?? We are extremely curious to find out.

Thanks.

 

[Fred4]

Hi Susan,

I suggest you start a new thread with your interesting question. I don't know how many people will see it at the tail-end of what is now an old thread.

Regards,

 

[Lynlw]

Justin went into Complete Heart Block during a cath when he was 10,(his heart was basically rebuilt when he was 18 months, with lots of patches and conduits ect) he needed emergency surgery the next day for his conduit and since he was still in CHB,he also got a pacemaker. He was 100% denpendent on it for about 6 months then, his heart started beating right. After each cath the next few years he would go into Complete heart Block for a few months then it wouldn't need to fire until next cath. He ended up getting it removed when he was 16 and since he was doing fine hasn't had 1 since. They thought he probably will need another one and actually I've been kind of surprised he's had a couple caths and surgeries since, but so far so good knock on wood.
BUT I agree Justin emotionally had a rougher tuime about having the pacemaker then the surgery. BUt after a while he kind of forgot about it, except during the phone checks which usually ended up being a time he had friends over or something.