Downside of pacemakers?

[Elcarim]

I know there are a few of us who have PMs in due to heart block that resulted from valve surgeries and the like. I was in serious denial when they put mine in and didn't ask a lot of questions at the time. So I guess I just assumed that the little zap would do the work of my damaged pacing node and everything else would be fine.

But I am starting to get the impression that this is not the case. That artificial pacing can damage the heart. That asynchronous pacing is worse, because one side paces naturally and the other doesn't, which is not meant to happen.

I want to know. I want to know if the PM is going to ruin my heart and shorten my life expectancy. I want to know if the changes caused by artificial pacing are going to cause other problems. And I want to know if there is anything that can be done to slow or prevent this.

No medical person has ever told me that, for example, I might want to make life decisions based on probably living another 20 years rather than another 40. They just say that each intervention is no big deal, they do it all the time. My valve will almost certainly outlive me. Pacemakers are reliable and mine will let me live as normal. Warfarin is no big deal as long as you are careful. Compliance and monitoring tilt the odds in my favour, but you can't cheat the numbers forever.

This has got a bit off track, but what I am wrestling with at the moment is whether there is value in looking after my body as best I can and planning for my future the same way as a regular person. Or would I be better off making the most of the time I have left? Should I be taking out life insurance and looking at accessing my superannuation early because I won't live until retirement age? Do I need to accept that I am not normal and healthy just because today I feel fine, that one day a complication will spring up that will kill me?

They replaced my broken bits, wired my chest shut and sent me out into the world to live my life, with no information about how my future might be affected by what they had to do.

 

[camgough]

I have a pacemaker and this crosses my mind also. Think just where you would be without the pacemaker?? Depending on your level of heart block, at your next appt ask how much you are being paced,and if you are in 100% heart block all the time. My pacemaker (Medtronic Adapta) has a mode switch that will let my heart do most of it's pacing on it's own when I am not in block.

 

[epstns]

Jodie - I don't know that there is any significant difference in life expectancy with a pacemaker compared to without it. In all the reading I have done, I have not run across any studies or articles that would indicate that the pacemaker damages anything. It may be so, but I haven't seen anything. I do know that I would have nowhere near my present quality of life absent my pacemaker.

After my last interrogation, my electrophysiologist I was told that I am now ". . . looking at the same quality of life and life expectancy I would have had if I had never needed heart surgery." That said, I'm just going to live life and now add this to my list of worries right now.

 

[Elcarim]

Thanks guys, I was just having a moment, I guess.
You both nailed it, without the PM I would not be here at all, so I should be thankful (which I am!) and live my life to the best of my ability.
Worrying doesn't solve anything, I know that too.
Head down, bum up, as we Aussies say; get on with it and do your best

 

[Jkm7]

I don't think your thought process is 'down'. I think it something you should discuss with your doctor. If these thoughts are going through your mind, I think you're entitled to rational, informative, honest responses and your doctors are the ones that can best provide them. I would expect my doctors to respond such questions from me, if asked.

Best wishes. Hope you get good, reliable info that puts your mind at east.

 

[camgough]

From my research certain settings of a pacemaker may lead to congestive heart failure over the long run. Since the majority of us have pacemakers from surgery, we probably all have some sort of heart block. The electronics are starting fine in the atrium, but not making it through to the ventricles consistently. The way I explain this to random people is that my pacemaker is set up like a booster cable from the top of the heart to the bottom. For other conditions such as sick sinus syndrome, the electrical path is fine, the signal just isn't being made properly and none of the heart is getting it.

For us heart blockers, most people will be in some type of DDD or DDDR mode. This usually means the ventricles are paced most of the time. Unnecessary ventricle pacing has been shown to lead to CHF in some people. I do not know why, but as was mentiond the unsynchronised pacing, or lead placement..... Just my thoughts.

 

[Natina13]

Jodie
I do not have a pacemaker, the hospital where my surgery was done 4/14/2011, puts an external pacemaker on all OHS patients...then when they know everything is fine, post-op, they remove them. I didn't know they did this before my surgery, but it kind of made sense, better safe, than sorry. Think I was hooked to the PM for 2 days....
I can understand your feelings though. You definitely need to get some answers from your Doctor, that is a must.... to give you a better understanding, thus peace of mind.
Jodie...life has no guarantee for anyone, not just OHS patients.. How many times do we see needless deaths, through accidents....many caused by the irresponsible actions of others, such as drunk driving. Or children, who loss their battle with cancer, even before they can reach puberty. Unfortunately.......none of us know exactly how long our life would have been, even without our heart surgeries...so many other variables exist in life. But one thing I do know.... it is always best to live each day to it's full potential, and be happy . I know this quote to be true....Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present. We all need to strive to live in the present.
Best of luck with this issue, wishing you nothing but loving, caring thoughts......and many hugs !!!! Life is good....and I am grateful for living in an age, where medicine has advanced, to the point, I was able to have my surgery and survive it.
Renee
BTW..found this free PM Club site..alot of answers on it
http://www.pacemakerclub.com/public/jpage/1/p/Home/content.do