Posted: 10/3/2012 10:37:40 AM EDT
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Not how I wanted to spend today. I'm sitting in the Cardiac Care Unit of Kettering Medical Center while my 70 year old father gets a pacemaker installed. Apparently he checked himself in yesterday, but at 0300 today, his heart rate fell down to the 20 beats a minute range. He's in great shape with low cholesterol and doesn't smoke. However the problem is prevalent in our family's history. Docs and nurses are saying things are going well so far.
Who here has experience regarding pacemakers? Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. |
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My father had one put in a year ago due to atrial fib caused by a virus, and had a cryo ablation done 2 months ago. We're hoping it gets him off some of his six meds a day. Sounds like your father is as excellent a candidate as my dad was. He should breeze right through this since he has no co-morbidity factors.
He'll be sore afterward and bruised. They will also monitor his pacemaker once he goes home. |
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Sorry about your dad, but pacemakers are amazing little devices. Once he recovers from the initial placement "surgery" he'll hardly know it's there. The "surgery" is actually about 2-3hrs in the cath lab, and he might be sent home a day or two after that if all is uncomplicated. He will have to go see his Cardiologist every few months for a pacemaker check. Just in the office, where they hook him up to a "laptop" looking computer and set a "remote control" on top of the pacemaker. Then the PM chats to the computer and settings can be checked, adjusted, etc.
A lot of people only need the PM to keep them from beating too low. So the PM just sits there waiting until it's needed. There are other folks who need PM help 24/7. PM these days are very small, about the size of two silver dollars stacked on top of each other. The first one made was the size of a large tuna can and it sits in the Smithsonian. Best of luck to you, your dad, and his cardiologist! |