Guest guest Posted March 4, 1999 Report Share Posted March 4, 1999 Hi Marty, My own EP's (from St Luke's Roosevelt NYC) test the device the day they put it in, the following day and one month later. This is all done with anesthesia and I didn't feel a thing. I think they used Versed. Now all they do is check it out with the mouse thing at three-month intervals. I have a site up and you may want to visit it to get a link to some other good places to visit on the web. My URL is: http://www.geocities.com/~msleeroush Hope this helps. Lee ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 1999 Report Share Posted March 4, 1999 Marty, I manage a EP lab in Fl. We routinely bring people in to test there devices post implant. There are many reasons to do this. Ask your EP what is his reasoning. Sometimes it may be to your benefit to do this especially if they are able to set up anti tacky pacing. Hope this helps. Makal ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 1999 Report Share Posted March 5, 1999 lee, Im getting a ICD tomorrow at St Lukes.. glad to see your experience was positive. Makes me feel a whole lot better. david LeeRoush@... on 03/04/99 06:58:11 PM Please respond to egroups egroups cc: (bcc: M Goldes/The Basex Group) Subject: Re: ICD test Hi Marty, My own EP's (from St Luke's Roosevelt NYC) test the device the day they put it in, the following day and one month later. This is all done with anesthesia and I didn't feel a thing. I think they used Versed. Now all they do is check it out with the mouse thing at three-month intervals. I have a site up and you may want to visit it to get a link to some other good places to visit on the web. My URL is: http://www.geocities.com/~msleeroush Hope this helps. Lee ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Does your free web site address contain more letters than the alphabet? Register a domain name with DomainDirect. A domain with NO hosting fees. Visit http://offers./click/233/0 for full details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 1999 Report Share Posted March 5, 1999 Marty: My EP doc tests my ICD every year, to make sure that the settings are all still correct and that nothing has changed with my heart. I have had mine since Aug of 96, and when they test it they make sure it will still stop a VT. Gordon ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 1999 Report Share Posted March 5, 1999 Marty, Another viewpoint from Minnesota. My EP has dropped testing because he believes the reliability is very good, and the ability to download the information works flawlessly. He quit testing them after implantation just before I received mine (March 98) I have a Guident/CPI unit. Pete E ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 1999 Report Share Posted March 5, 1999 Tony, Thx f/comments--will print this for my EP doc! Aren't these forums great!! Bestest, Lee ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 1999 Report Share Posted March 5, 1999 formarty@... wrote: > > My new EP wants to admit me into the hospital so they can test fire my ICD which was implanted on 8/19/98. I've had it checked at three month intervals and it appears to be fine. It has not been fired other than the day after implanting. I called Medtronics and they said some EP's test them others don't. They wouldn't commit themselves to an opinion as to whether or not it was needed. Any Comments? > > Thanks Marty > Marty - I've had a Medtronic since Jan '96 and my EP who is also my cardiologist seems to espouse the belief that real testing of the device is superfluous because of the reliability of the ICD and the 3-4 month computer check of same. I have met Medtronic engineers and they tend to be quite close-lipped on cardiology opinions. It's not their job or their business to do so. In MY opinion, real firing of the device seems ludicrous and may indicate a basic distrust of the ICD itself or the wiring job or both by the new EP. This is only my opinion. Regards, Jim -- Danae & Jim 34 N Las Yucas Green Valley AZ 85614-2612 Between Tucson & Mexico in the Santa Cruz River Valley ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 1999 Report Share Posted March 5, 1999 Marty . . . I received my ICD 9/98 and have it interrogated at my EP doc's office every 3 months like most folks. I was readmitted to the hospital for test firings 12/98, which also seems pretty standard from what I hear. Just returned to my computer a few minutes ago from a check-up & ICD interrogation with my EP that I'd like to share with you and the rest of our group. Since I last saw him, he has changed his opinion on the frequency of test firings (it was 90 days after implantation and then again 2 years later). He now wants all his ICD patients to be tested annually and this was the explanation he provided. One of his patients who had been implanted several years earlier was due for a test firing. The ICD appeared to be working just fine when interrogated a week or so prior to the test showing that everything was OK. However, when the ICD was activated in the hospital it malfunctioned as (if I understood this correctly) a break had occurred in the coil itself which didn't show up in the self test readout produced during the interrogation process. The doc replaced the entire lead and sent the guy home. As they say, timing in life is everything. Turns out the guy went into sustained VT THE NEXT WEEK ! The ICD & lead did what they were suppose to do, he survived and is just fine. If the test firing hadn't been performed and the problem identified and corrected, the results might have been quite different. My doc said statistically, the chances of this happening are very small (he indicated that he had become aware of at least one other similar incident), but at least for now it is his intention to test each of his patients yearly. Also to echo what Lee said, when I was tested they used Versed. I was completely out and didn't feel a thing. Being tested once a year seems reasonably to me to ensure functionality. Especially if the self-test/interrogation can't tell the entire story. Tony Denver > ---------- > From: formarty@... > Reply egroups > Sent: Thursday, March 04, 1999 15:26 > egroups > Subject: ICD test > > My new EP wants to admit me into the hospital so they can test fire my ICD > which was implanted on 8/19/98. I've had it checked at three month > intervals and it appears to be fine. It has not been fired other than the > day after implanting. I called Medtronics and they said some EP's test > them others don't. They wouldn't commit themselves to an opinion as to > whether or not it was needed. Any Comments? > > Thanks Marty > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Does your free web site address contain more letters than the alphabet? > Register a domain name with DomainDirect. A domain with NO hosting fees. > Visit http://offers./click/233/0 for full details. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 1999 Report Share Posted March 5, 1999 I've been reading these posts regarding annual " test firings " with great interest. I've had an ICD (CPI/Guidant) for 8 years, have it interrogated every 3 months, and my EP doc has never mentioned having annual " test firing " . I would really like to know how many others in our group have this procedure every year. I have an appt. the 17th with my EP doc, and I'm certainly going to mention it to him. Anita from NC ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 1999 Report Share Posted March 22, 1999 I have an appt. the 17th with my > EP doc, and I'm certainly going to mention it to him. Anita from NC > >What did your EP say about a test firing? Marty Alpert ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 1999 Report Share Posted March 22, 1999 Marty -- I'm embarrassed. I failed to mention this to my EP tech last week. It really slipped my mind. I had spoken to a couple of people about this at the time of our discussion, one of whom is my daughter. She's a cardiac RN who works with telemetry/monitored patients, and she had never heard of this kind of " test firing " being done on a routine basis. A couple of fellow ICDers in my area knew nothing about it either. I've had an ICD for 8 years, been " shocked " 3 times, but never had anything but " every 3 month " routine interrogation of the device. Hope you are doing well. Anita ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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