Heart Pacemaker battery replacement effects?

@dbamos1945
They don't replace the battery they replace the total device. ICD/Pacemakers are made to be sealed and cannot be opened.

I am on my 3rd ICD/Pacemaker so have been through three surgeries. From my experience the first surgery is the worst as putting something in your body that is foreign and body tries to get rid of it and takes time for it to encapsulate and irritation to go down.

For me all additional surgeries (Mayo Jacksonville) used the same scar from from original surgery. Here is the good news. They don't have to put in the wires again or replace them like they do with the device. So the next surgeries don't involve putting wires into the heart and thus additional surgeries for new device are done a lot faster and less turmoil to body.

For me I was told to watch the same thing as first regarding device surgical site and allowing area to heal. The difference is the wires are in place and seated unlike the first one where you have to be real careful with movement to let the wires seat in the heart (if they used screw in type) and or if static wire end settle in.

You are going to have a surgical site again. I was told most concern is infection. So follow your surgeion's advise on after surgery restrictions. The device is your body has been in there for years. I would guess your husband's was there for 8-10 years. In that time the body encapsulates the device as a foreign body. When that happens the inflamation to body is reduced as it is encapsulated.

Your body will have to go through this again so expect that discomfort where device is until that happens again. You want to follow your surgeons advise on moving your arms, washing area, keeping electrical devices away from it, watching any signs of infection. There may be improvements in the new device and new programming, and new testing to make sure all is performing right.

So good news a lessor surgey as wires are not involved. But still sugery and a device left in body which body won't like and will go through the encapsulation process again.

This come from having 3 surgeies and what my EP has explained to me each time. Tell you husband good luck. The ongoing device replacement surgeies are lot less surgeies than first one and again the device is completely replaced not the battery.

@jc76: Thank you for current info on pacemaker replacement procedure! I made a copy of your post to refer to prior to surgery. Your time and effort in helping me is much appreciated! dbamos1945

@dbamos1945
Glad to help in anyway. It is why MCC is here to share your experiences with others.

Todays ICD/Pacemakers have gone through so much upgrading and what they can be programmed to do is just amazing.

I assume your pacemaker is under your skin. Is that correct? Mine is under my chest muscle. My EP said I did not have enough skin in chest area as since I was so active he wanted to place below my chest muscle. So you can see after 3 surgeries it involved not only opening skin but opening chest muscle.

But I am fine and have got used to my old buddy being in my chest and helping my heart every day.

Do you have just a pacemaker or a ICD/Pacemaker?

@jc76: My husband has a Medtronic Pacemaker. We meet with the cardiologist soon and I will get many questions answered. I assume they will replace it with a similar (but maybe updated model) Medtronic unit. Are there any pacemakers mfg that should be avoided or have a reputation of being the best? He wants the most efficient, reliable model. I have concern about the leads and if they are known to get contaminated or lose connectivity? Guess I am full of questions. Thank you for your posts. Best of health to you!

@dbamos1945
I have a Boston Scientific device. All 3 have been same manufacturer. I did receive a notice recently from Boston Scientific that some (not mine specifically) leads (wires) were being shown to becoming calcification. I am not sure what that is but my device is check every 3 month remotely by a system called latitude.

I go into pace clinic once a year for complete check. This where the check any impedience on wires and lower and up your pacing to make sure all is working right. After my remote checks I will get a portal message from Mayo Jacksonville going over the results of the remote test. Sometimes Pace Clinic will call or send me message on portal they want me to come in to check something they saw on the remote check.

Medtronic has a great reputation of being an excellent device. I have not heard of anything negative about it or their wires. I know with my Boston Scientific device and wires I had one wire that developed so much impedience during replacement of my device they disconnected that wire and put a new one in.

It is good to have questions. Write them down and when you meet with your cardiologist surgeon just go over them with him/her. You mentioned cardilogist. I assume that you are not seeing a electrophysioloigist (EP). That is a cardilogist that specializes in electrical functions of heart and experts in electrical fuctions, testing, devices, etc.

I would expect the time frame that your husband has had his first device has been in about 8-10 years. During that time period many upgrades, new devices, smaller and more efficent wires are manufactured. I would expect he would get a newer model of medtronic device. If your cardiologist or pace clinic is not informing you about that his is having any impedience on his wires that is very good and indicates his wires are in good shape.

I know when I got my first device back in 2006 my EP said he chose what was best at the time for me at the time. That was almost 20 years ago and they have gone through so many upgrades impossible to list all. The newest models are MRI compliant. Meaning you can have MRIs.

Mine was not during my last MRI nor was one of the wires. But I could still have a MRI they just turn off the shocking device and pacing to keep magnetic interference causing the pacemaker to do something when it was not needed.