I'm confused about what my loop recorder is actually doing!

I’ve had a loop recorder for over 2 1/2 years, implanted a few months after an RF catheter ablation for Afib & flutter. I had a number of episodes that the Kardiamobile device & their cardiologists overread as Afib, but my EP determined via the loop recorder data were simply PACS or instances of atrial tach.
Kardiamobile can be helpful, but not always accurate. I’m not sure though that I would go through the discomfort of another ILR procedure once this battery goes.

I'm definitely talking to my cardiologist next month about getting the loop recorder removed. Good luck to you !

I have passed out several times over the past 4 years and the loop recorder showed no activity. On vacation in Florida and last week passed out again and taken to hospital by ambulance and admitted. Next morning the cardiologist came to see me. I told him I have a loop and mentioned it never records my passing out episodes. He said that the loop is a money maker for the doctor, and don’t even bother to replace device since it is due !!!

Technology is a funny thing. I have an ICD which has saved my life many times. That said my EP relies on it far too much for what’s going on. I’ve been complaining about PVCs for months. Normally they’re no big deal and my ICD didn’t show an increased burden. But I belly ached enough the gave me a halter monitor. It showed I was having 20,000 PVCs a day -more than enough to cause problems. Finally on mexiletine to compliment the Amiodarone.

Sorry to read about your issues with passing out & not getting anything on the loop recorder to indicate what's going on with your heart rhythm. I went today for an echocardiogram, then they checked my loop recorder download, it showed alot of "fast heart rates" ( tachycardia) but other than that it looked OK. Meantime I discuss echo results with my cardiologist April 4th...Honestly don't know why I was put through getting the loop recorder when I knew I was having tachycardia off and on ,nothing new,and have alot of pvc's ( so I was told) if it's " no big deal?" I have palpitations, and arythmia on a daily, and either the loop recorder isn't picking it up, or it's not a concern. Waste of time in my opinion, so I will be getting mine removed ,as I've had it for over 3 years.

Have read several responses to my post which have the same sentiments I have about the loop recorder as a money grabber. Forgot to mention that my doctor was charging my insurance (and receiving over $800 every month to turn on his computer 30 seconds to read results which always showed no accurances even though i passed out 5 or 6 times over this time period !)

I am reading all these responses and want to share our experience in case this would be helpful to anyone.
My 34 year old son had a LINQ II Loop Recorder implanted 9 months ago. The reason he had this specific new model implanted- is because he has no symptoms- Even when his A. Fib was very very serious.
So, the way this model works is that it records 24/7- and does not have a button on the App or a machine by the bedside or anywhere else to send the recordings to where someone would be alerted to look at them. I have explained these specifics repeatedly to the Cardiologist nurses. We have had amazing care and I have never ever had a concern about any of the care that he has been given. But, I must say- I am very frustrated that I have to explain that his LINQII is unique in that there is no button to push- NOT even on the APP to get it to "download". I am an RN- so I learn everything there is to learn about my son and keeping him safe and recovering.
It seems to make much more sense- that since he doesn't have symptoms- that there would be a notification for the cardiologist to look at it more regularly. But, it has been explained to me that every 3 months this happens. I can request someone to look at it- but he has to have some symptoms for them to fulfill such a request. I wish that I could look at the information since no one else does on a monthly (at the very least) basis.
This was the icing on the cake- at his 4 week follow up for his first Ablation- the nurse practitioner didn't even have the Loop recordings- and that was what it was for....was to see if the Ablation had worked.
After the second Ablation- I called and specifically requested to make sure the nurse practitioner had the info before our visit...you would have thought this was asking them to do something stupid- By the nurses response anyway. Amazingly enough though, the np had the results by the time we saw her.
Another eye opener- after his 2nd Ablation- the EP that did the Ablation- told us that it was a good thing that we came to do the Ablation when we did because he would have soon been back in the hospital due to the A Fib. I was so dumbfounded and shaken by him telling us this- that I couldn't even put in to words what I wanted to say to him about why he didn't already know this from the Loop? It was just happen stance that there was a cancellation and we got in for the Ablation when he did.
My take away is- we have to be advocates for ourselves/loved ones. Ask questions, if something doesn't seem right- keep asking until you feel you have the right answers.
Good news- I did call and ask that someone look at his Loop Recordings last week, because he had a little shortness of breath and weight gain. I really think it is due to him needing more exercise. The nurse said that since he is having some shortness of breath- she can request someone to look at it. Thankfully, he has had NO abnormality of any kind since the second Ablation. We should start weaning him off the Amiodarone at his visit in 3 weeks. Maybe it is because he is so young. But, we have been told that he can't take Amiodarone long term because it has awful side effects.
Hang in there to all of you.

I’ve recently had a similar experience with being hospitalized due to heart complications & the loop implant showing absolutely nothing. I spent a whole month in the hospital on the CPCU floor on a dopamine drip. The critical care nurse told my mom that if they were to stop the domaine drip, that my heart would slowly stop pumping all together in less than an hour. At some points, I remember my HR being at 22 with rapid response & critical care teams running to the bedside. After a month at this hospital, I was transferred to Cedar-Sinai….the hospital that is rated #2 in the nation… And they argued with me saying there was nothing wrong with my heart because the loop monitor has no recorded episodes. In fact, it says “Everything's looking great!”. I was pissed because how are they going to tell me I spent a month in the hospital on a dopamine drip artificlaly pumping my heart, & now you’re going to argue with me that my heart is perfectly fine. Screw the professional care teams that were monitoring my heart & condition at the other hospital & just go off of a loop implant that is clearly so inaccurate. Instead of using common sense & logic when I was questioning the accuracy of the loop implant after all the previous poor test results at the other hospital, they stood firm on “The loop recorders are fairly accurate & you should be happy it’s giving good readings.” If that’s so, then i’m not really happy about wasting a month of my life & hassle of dealing with a picc line for that dopamine drip that I supposedly didn’t need the whole time. To conclude, THE LOOP MONITORS ARE DANGEROUS TO BE GIVING OUT TO PATIENTS WHO ARE ACTUALLY HAVING CARDIAC COMPLICATIONS BECAUSE THE LOOP RECORDERS ARE EXTREMELY INACCURATE.

I had a loop recorder placed in me when I woke up after an electrical doctor performed an ablation without my knowledge. I have passed out at least 8 times since and when I called each time was told no event was recorded. When I passed out last March while in Florida and was admitted to hospital, the cardiologist came in the next morning to consult me. He actually told me the loop recorder was nothing but a money grabber and to get rid of it. I believe him and am tired of paying monthly fees all these years with not one passing out event ever being recorded. I have since pulled the plug and stopped paying monthly fees !

For those patients experience events with no loop recording: The Loop Recorder requires the minimum number of heart beats needed to trigger a recording be entered into the recording program. .
I had tachycardia of 150 bpm, however, the device did not record it because it was programmed to recorder tachycardia of 155 and above. I asked my doctor to lower the threshold to 150 which he did.