pacemaker battery failure

my dad is having his pacemaker batteries changed tomorrow. (had to wait because of being on coumadin) apparently they failed early. how common/dangerous is this? what is involved in the procedure?

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

Pacemaker battery (pulse generator) changes are pretty straight forward.  Depending on how often some one needs paced and the current required to capture the heart muscle, pacemaker batteries should last 6-10 years, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

An incision is made over the previous scar and the old pacemaker is removed from the pocket.  A small screw driver is used to disconnect the leads from the pulse generator and the leads are tested to make sure they are working properly.  The generator is hooked up to the old leads if they are working appropriately, the incision is irrigated with antibiotic solution and the new pacemaker is put back into the same place (pacemaker pocket) and the incision is closed.

The biggest risk is the risk of infection -- about 2%.  If the pacemaker or leads become infected, the pacemaker and leads need to be removed.  Removing a pacemaker is a complicated procedure.  All precautions are taken to make sure the surgical site is clean, but even with best efforts, infection rate is still about 2%.  There is a small risk of bleeding in the pocket but this rarely requires opening the pocket back up.

It is a pretty routine procedure.  We do it all the time.  Other than infection, the risks are pretty small.  Patients usually go home the same day. Antibiotics should be given at the beginning of the procedure and continued for 24 hours.

If he is pacemaker dependent, a temporary pacemaker is often placed for the procedure.  You will need to ask the doctors/nurse before the procedure if you aren't' sure but this doesn't add much to the procedure.

I hope this helps.  Thanks for posting.

[terrigillespie]

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