ICD

[cheri.]

My husband is getting a defibrillator implanted this week. He is 44 years old and has been diagnosed in early stages of severe heart failure. He has cardiomyopathy. His ejection fraction is in the 20 to 30 percent range.

My question: those of you who have had defibrillator implants: have they made you feel better? My husbands doc said his will also have a pacemaker which will regulate his heart. Will he notice a difference or is this a measure to prevent heart failure only?

Thanks for your input.

Cheri

[Jillejam]

Congrats on the implantation going so smoothly.  Now you just need to make him rest and make sure he doesn't pull those leads out, easier said than done.  It was so hard on me, I have a 5 and 2 year old sons and my 2 year old wanted me to pick him up all the time.  It broke my heart to watch his sad little face when I had to tell him no and watch someone else pick him up.  I think he has finally forgiven me for my few weeks of not picking him up.  

Which type of cardiomyopathy do they think he has?  My docs think I have something called ARVD, it is a genetic disease of the right ventricle.  I am hoping it is not this...I would hate to find out my boys will have a 50% chance of having it too.  The problem with my disease is that it is progressive and uncurable.  The only thing they can do is give meds and put in an ICD.  Well, guess I will be taking pills for the rest of my days....I personally hate taking pills.

Your email didn't come up...you have to type it out.  Mine is Jillejam at yahoo dot com.
Good luck
Jill

[cheri.]

Thank you all for your replies. My husband's implant surgery went perfectly. His ICD is St. Jude, but not a bi-ventricular pacemaker. The manufacturer wants my husband to participate in a study to see how the implant affects younger people as far as lifestyle issues. He doesn't have a way to send transmissions; he will be meeting both his doc and the engineer from St. Jude at his appointments and they well retrieve his info that way each time.

Jill, the docs actually think my husband's condition has been ongoing for years. He woke me up in the middle of the night about 4 weeks ago because he couldn't breathe and his chest hurt. Long story short - he spent 5 days in the heart hospital and had a heart cath where they implanted a stent, and also diagnosed his cardiomyopathy. He has an enlarged heart. They also documented episodes of VT. So they recommended that have have this implant, which he did.

I would be happy to discuss further details of his symptoms with you. I am sorry you have been going through a similar situation. If you like, you can contact me at ***@****.

Thanks again all.

[knightrider]

Thanks,U put it in a better way.
Cheri,my ICD is a St Jude.I have a blood test every 3 mos to have my organs checked.It's the type
of Meds I'm on.

[Jillejam]

Hi Cheri

Yes, some people can feel them try and pace them before shocks occur.  I felt the flutter that you hear about for 3 days before my ICD shocked me back to normal.  I hope you husbands EP doc does the carelink system if you have a medtronic.  Carelink is a way to send transmissions via phone line to your doctors office so they can view files from the ICD.  If you have this option and use it you don't have to go into the office every 3 months but every 6 instead.   ICDs don't prevent heart failure they help with those rhythm problems that are a symptom of CHF.  I am sorry to hear of your husbands cardiomyopathy, did it just happen recently?  I went through similar issues this past summer.  I am a 37 year old female who just so happens to go into VT, it just came out of nowhere.  Your husband is also young to be going through these issues.  I would love to hear about your husbands symptoms...it sounds kind of familar to me in your brief explanation.  Your husbands best bet is medications and diet for CHF.  Finding the right combination of meds can do wonders for your EF.  Good luck on the implantation.

Jill

[often]

I am going to assume that he is getting a bi-v pacemaker/ICD device.  The pacemaker will regulate his heartbeat.  Depending on all his stats, it should make him feel better, simply because his heart will be working more efficiently. The ICD is there if his heart starts to beat too fast...too long.  It will try to pace him out of it and back to a regular beat...if that doesn't work, it will zap him.  Those of us with heart failure are at higher risk for sudden cardiac death.  The ICD is there to keep us alive if that happens.  

At the time I had my device implanted, my ef had come up to 20% from 10%, just on the meds and diet...once I had the implant I noticed immediate improvement in my stamina, less fatigue...etc.  Within a year my ef was back to >50% and heart size and function was normal.  My ventricles had been beating out of sync, and once that was fixed it was amazing how much better I felt.  

Hopefully your husband will have good improvement also.

It is different for everyone.  

[knightrider]

I guess it depends on the person.Each one is different.I had a reg. pacer for 6yrs and was replaced with a new one.My batteries were getting low.In March of this year I had a ICD,3 leads put in.One of the leads is set for low pulse rate,where if ur pulse goes too low.The 2nd one is set for the ur pulse which the cadio will set when it's startes to get too high.If that doesn't work and contiue to go high,this is where the 3rd lead comes in effect and it'll zap ya to bring the pulse rate down.
During the 1st two leads,U don't even know it had happen.Now thie zap isn't too back like some will say.It about a second shock.It won't kick ya to the ground.I had 4 in March.during one time I got it
3 times within 15 seconds.Went to the E-R and they adjusted my meds and I been OK since.Oh yes,I'm 59.It took me awhile to get used to it after the 3zaps at one time.It stayed in my head and my cardio advised me,he'll send me to a shrink to straighten my head were it would take my mind off of it and get out and do some walking.

[ireneo]

My Dad's had an ICD for about 5 years and it made a big difference for him. He's had 4 heart attacks and there was quite a bit of damage to his heart. Too often his heart rate dropped into the low 40's. The ICD/pacemaker kept it up into the 60's. That alone gave him more energy. The ICD portion saved his life when his heart went into a life-threatening arrhythmia. I'd say that's a good thing. As for the ejection fraction - I'm not sure what his is now but what improvement he had probably came from the meds the cardio prescribed. It's been quite a few years and my Dad's health is failing (he's 79) but his heart took a real beating from all those MI's. He took a real bad turn last Fall and we didn't expect him to survive the holidays. But by changing his meds a bit he's still around. Don't give up hope.