Thread: Pace maker

10th anniversary for my defib / pacemaker. I went through the research bit as my device delivers a full defibrillation shock, so risks are much higher. Having experienced an "inappropriate therapy" i.e. getting whacked when it shouldn't have makes you even more cautious.

Best to discuss with your GP and cardiac specialist how to manage returning to your hobby and your specific condition. The most significant risk period is in your initial recovery phase.

The device manufacturers recommendations cover all bases and are intended to reduce the risk of injury to the individual should they experience a "cardiac event" whilst using machinery or being in a position where injury could result, say being on a ladder etc. They also cover off on the potential for external sources to interfer with the normal opperation of the pacemaker or defib, preventing it from working when it should, or delivering an "inappropriate therapy" when it shouldn't. Modern devices are very well shielded, plus the software senses interference and has various safeguards, defaults etc and will recover to normal opperation very quickly once away from the potential source of interference.

With the support of my GP and specialist I have returned to doing most tasks on the lathe, using machinery etc with some modification to proceedures and by being fully informed of the potential hazards and risks. I made it clear that I wanted to return to my hobbies etc and that my family and I are prepared to accept some risk.

Has it been event free? No, definitely not. The worst, I tried to remove the tops of two fingers on a jointer because I experienced a "turn" when using it. Do I climb ladders? Very rarely, avoid it. Using power tools? Yes but following recommended guidelines.

Basically it becomes a numbers game of chance, what odds are you & your family prepared to accept. The medical research deals with the probability of an event occuring, for you it was high enough to warrant a pacemaker.

In the ten years there has not been one identified event caused by external interference, but I am very safety conscious and put the odds in my favour if at all practical. Do I take risks? Occasionally, and I continued to ride my motorcycle for a number of years.

Be cautious, and follow advice, but make it clear that you want to enjoy your life!

One thing I would highly recommend is to be very cautious of potential injuries around the device site, and to be obsessive about management of even minor wounds. Sepsis (infection) of the device pocket (site) is reasonably common (in medical terms) and can be a high risk proceedure to remedy. Been there, not pleasant, and a real PIA.

Also tell people that are around you that you have a pacemaker and tell them what they should do if you experience an event. Ask your specialist to give you that info.

I am very certain that I would not be able to enjoy the quality of life I have now if I did not have the defib / pacemaker. So its a small deal to accommodate a few sensible restrictions.

Send me a PM and I will give you my phone number if you wish to have a chat.

Some good advice there, Doug.
Don't be afraid to pester your specialist until you get the answers you need, after all you are paying the bills, whether it be privately or through Medicare

I came very close to having a ICD, fortunately medication is doing the job at this stage, however when I was engaged it research of the units I spoke to many people who had them, the modern unit a far less subject to interference you can even use welding equipment

Most things are ok to do. The manufacturer will often have some information. It takes a bit of doing to generate enough electrical interference to cause a problem.

Can't stick weld usually, as it does generate a lot of electrical noise.

The most common problem is that the pacemaker sees electrical interference (noise) and believes it is the heart's own electricity. This can mean the pacemaker doesn't pace (generate a signal to tell the heart to beat) because it thinks the heart is beating. Obviously, if you are reliant on the pacemaker entirely to set your heart beat, this is a major problem, as it may not pace and you may collapse or pass out.

Interference is a much bigger problem with a defibrillator - interference looks the same as ventricular fibrillation (aka dying heart) and so the defibrillator will do what it is meant to do and deliver a shock. People don't tend to enjoy that.

Pneumatic tools should be fine as they should not generate electrical noise.

Originally Posted by pippin88

Interference is a much bigger problem with a defibrillator - interference looks the same as ventricular fibrillation (aka dying heart) and so the defibrillator will do what it is meant to do and deliver a shock. People don't tend to enjoy that.

I know all about that! It hurts and is very disorientating. My "inappropriate activation" was apparently from false sensing a few weeks after it was installed, repositioning the leads fixed that - more surgery.