Anyone had a heart pacemaker fitted?

[Neil.C]

I've had a low heartbeat for years but lately I've been feeling a bit breathless ( possibly not unusual at age 72!) and my Doctor has referred me to a cardiologist with a view to having a pacemaker fitted.

Supposedly a new lease of life although I am hardly disabled, mowing the lawn and going to football etc.

Anyone had one fitted? What's your experience?

[Onelasttime]

Best of luck, but you sound healthy so shouldn't need it

I have no personal experience other than one of my freelancers has had to twice cancel a trip to Australia in the past 6 months due to her husband's pacemaker 'firing', which I think means having a blip.

The husband is absolutely fine but his doctor advised against air travel for 2 months to make sure the pacemaker was ok. They booked again and the thing 'fired' again 1 month before the second booking. They're aiming for May/June now.

I only just learned this two weeks' ago so it's fresh in my mind, hence relaying it here. Maybe something to ask the cardiologist about.

[Passenger]

Best of luck, but you sound healthy so shouldn't need it

I have no personal experience other than one of my freelancers has had to twice cancel a trip to Australia in the past 6 months due to her husband's pacemaker 'firing', which I think means having a blip.

The husband is absolutely fine but his doctor advised against air travel for 2 months to make sure the pacemaker was ok. They booked again and the thing 'fired' again 1 month before the second booking. They're aiming for May/June now.

I only just learned this two weeks' ago so it's fresh in my mind, hence relaying it here. Maybe something to ask the cardiologist about.

I'm no medic but I wonder if anxiety/ adrenaline thinking about the trip might cause the pacemaker to fire...

I only know the FiL's had one for some time now, no problems though he needs a cardiologist in the room when other surgeries have been performed.

Best of luck with it OP.

[Bonzodog]

Not yet,but doctor thinks I’m in line for one,my dad had one fitted at ninety three ,not given him any problems so far.

[Bry1975]

Hi Neil,

Schwarzenegger also has a pacemaker matey, have you asked for a 2nd or 3rd GPs opinion?

Cheers

Bry

[den77]

I had a PM fitted in Dec 2024 after being diagnosed with Sick Sinus Syndrome, basically the electrical pathways throughout my heart were not firing correctly. This manifested as my heart rate not rising during exertion, my heart pausing for gaps of 6-8 seconds, a low resting heart rate of 28 bpm when sleeping, general tiredness and increasingly often breathlessness in everyday life. I was relatively fit and an active endurance triathlon participant, multiple Ironman events completed and a very keen cyclist. I'm told that my heart, blood vessels etc etc are in good condition, it's just the electrical system that is problematic for me. From the start of symptoms to the procedure to fit a biventricular pacemaker took 18 - 24 months, though i didn't really have symptoms during everyday activities until Nov 24 as all my symptoms prior were happening during intense exercise.

Post procedure everything was good and I felt invigorated almost immediately. At the six week post procedure check I was informed that I had atrial flutter (my PM is capable of recording the heart activity in much the same way a Holter ECG can) and since then I have had a few episodes of atrial fibrillation (AFIB) which have meant visits to the A&E department. I have, literally yesterday, started a course of beta blockers to try to calm my heart down as during the AFIB attacks it was recorded @ 220 BPM, not ideal when you are 60 years old and sat in bed. Typically for me much of the time I do not have symptoms of atrial flutter / AFIB, it is the PM, and my smartwatch that informs that I have these rapid, irregular heart rates.

Overall I would say the experience has been a positive one, though that view is tempered by the fact that pre-procedure I had a slow HR and now I have a rapid HR. I just put it down to part of the experience and have my fingers firmly crossed that the beta - blockers and my forthcoming cardiologist appointment will help to resolve the latest issue.

THe advice I would give is to speak, and listen very carefully to your cardiologist, they do not recommend a pacemaker lightly and there are a number of different types of pacemakers that are suited for different types of heart problems. You should be, IMHO, very clear why they are recommending the procedure and what they expect to be the result of receiving the device. Certainly if you are symptom free it doesn't mean you do not have an issue, but you should definitely know what is happening within your heart now, how the PM will affect your heart and what would be the consequences if you do not have the procedure.

Good luck with it all, my PM probably saved my life and I had very few everyday symptoms prior to Nov 24, so even though I am not perfect now I am definitely better than I was the day before the PM was fitted.

[Neil.C]

I had a PM fitted in Dec 2024 after being diagnosed with Sick Sinus Syndrome, basically the electrical pathways throughout my heart were not firing correctly. This manifested as my heart rate not rising during exertion, my heart pausing for gaps of 6-8 seconds, a low resting heart rate of 28 bpm when sleeping, general tiredness and increasingly often breathlessness in everyday life. I was relatively fit and an active endurance triathlon participant, multiple Ironman events completed and a very keen cyclist. I'm told that my heart, blood vessels etc etc are in good condition, it's just the electrical system that is problematic for me. From the start of symptoms to the procedure to fit a biventricular pacemaker took 18 - 24 months, though i didn't really have symptoms during everyday activities until Nov 24 as all my symptoms prior were happening during intense exercise.

Post procedure everything was good and I felt invigorated almost immediately. At the six week post procedure check I was informed that I had atrial flutter (my PM is capable of recording the heart activity in much the same way a Holter ECG can) and since then I have had a few episodes of atrial fibrillation (AFIB) which have meant visits to the A&E department. I have, literally yesterday, started a course of beta blockers to try to calm my heart down as during the AFIB attacks it was recorded @ 220 BPM, not ideal when you are 60 years old and sat in bed. Typically for me much of the time I do not have symptoms of atrial flutter / AFIB, it is the PM, and my smartwatch that informs that I have these rapid, irregular heart rates.

Overall I would say the experience has been a positive one, though that view is tempered by the fact that pre-procedure I had a slow HR and now I have a rapid HR. I just put it down to part of the experience and have my fingers firmly crossed that the beta - blockers and my forthcoming cardiologist appointment will help to resolve the latest issue.

THe advice I would give is to speak, and listen very carefully to your cardiologist, they do not recommend a pacemaker lightly and there are a number of different types of pacemakers that are suited for different types of heart problems. You should be, IMHO, very clear why they are recommending the procedure and what they expect to be the result of receiving the device. Certainly if you are symptom free it doesn't mean you do not have an issue, but you should definitely know what is happening within your heart now, how the PM will affect your heart and what would be the consequences if you do not have the procedure.

Good luck with it all, my PM probably saved my life and I had very few everyday symptoms prior to Nov 24, so even though I am not perfect now I am definitely better than I was the day before the PM was fitted.

Thanks for such a fulsome response to my question Den.

The cardiologist is phoning me on Tuesday and you have given me some very useful questions to ask.

My resting heartbeat was 42 on the ECG but am still awaiting results of the 24 hour holter I wore recently.

Thanks again.

[Tom-P]

For persistent bradycardia (if that's the issue, and of course it might not be), pacemakers are generally the long-term solution. That is, a slow heart rate can sometimes be remedied a bit by lifestyle changes, such as better sleep and hydration, but if it's causing issues (acute lethargy, dizziness or fainting etc) then there's little alternative. Unlike tachycardia (fast rate), which can often be medicated, long-term bradycardia can't. And although you'll see bradycardia quantified on the internet - RHR under 60/55/50 etc - medics don't generally fetishise the number: if yours is 45 but you feel fine they're not really interested, but if it's 55 and you faint when standing up suddenly, they are, or should be; and the RHR will only get slower with age. In these circumstances it's a good solution - it might not make you live longer, but it will allow you to live a lot better. A PM for bradycardia would be set to cut in at the point the RHR felt too slow for you - e.g. if your RHR has been slumping into the 40s and you've felt crap, they could set a minimum of say 60. So it's a safety net which just cuts in as necessary.

As den77 says above, cardiologists don't commend them lightly and if it's being proposed as the best treatment I'd go with it.

[Neil.C]

For persistent bradycardia (if that's the issue, and of course it might not be), pacemakers are generally the long-term solution. That is, a slow heart rate can sometimes be remedied a bit by lifestyle changes, such as better sleep and hydration, but if it's causing issues (acute lethargy, dizziness or fainting etc) then there's little alternative. Unlike tachycardia (fast rate), which can often be medicated, long-term bradycardia can't. And although you'll see bradycardia quantified on the internet - RHR under 60/55/50 etc - medics don't generally fetishise the number: if yours is 45 but you feel fine they're not really interested, but if it's 55 and you faint when standing up suddenly, they are, or should be; and the RHR will only get slower with age. In these circumstances it's a good solution - it might not make you live longer, but it will allow you to live a lot better. A PM for bradycardia would be set to cut in at the point the RHR felt too slow for you - e.g. if your RHR has been slumping into the 40s and you've felt crap, they could set a minimum of say 60. So it's a safety net which just cuts in as necessary.

As den77 says above, cardiologists don't commend them lightly and if it's being proposed as the best treatment I'd go with it.

Thanks Tom.

My normal heart rate has always been lower than "normal" and was 42 at an ECG the other day. I have have had occasional breathlessness recently but otherwise fine.

I am speaking to the cardiologist on Tuesday for the results of my 24 hour Holter so a clearer picture should develop.

[bandylegss]

I had one of these fitted nearly two years ago Neil.

https://www.medtronic.com/uk-en/pati...t-devices.html

After two previous pm failed to do the job my heart was all over the place causing giddy spells and I even passed out a few times, one pm even caused heart damage.
What I’ve got now has steadied the ship but life is a lot slower I get out of breath easily but I don’t have any dramatic episodes mind you my heart function is down to 35 % which is a bummer but hey ho.
Hope you get it sorted mate.

[Tom-P]

Thanks Tom.

My normal heart rate has always been lower than "normal" and was 42 at an ECG the other day. I have have had occasional breathlessness recently but otherwise fine.

I am speaking to the cardiologist on Tuesday for the results of my 24 hour Holter so a clearer picture should develop.

Keep us posted Neil. 24-hr holter is quite short these days - but that'll certainly do if they're simply trying to assess low RHR.

Cardiologists divide themselves into electricians (beats, pacing) and plumbers (arteries, flow etc). Hopefully it's all good in terms of the latter and just a question of helping with the former.

[Neil.C]

I had one of these fitted nearly two years ago Neil.

https://www.medtronic.com/uk-en/pati...t-devices.html

After two previous pm failed to do the job my heart was all over the place causing giddy spells and I even passed out a few times, one pm even caused heart damage.
What I’ve got now has steadied the ship but life is a lot slower I get out of breath easily but I don’t have any dramatic episodes mind you my heart function is down to 35 % which is a bummer but hey ho.
Hope you get it sorted mate.

Thanks for the info Paul.

Glad you seemed to have steadied the ship at last.

At our age life can afford to be a bit slower!

All the best my old mate.

Neil.

[Neil.C]

Keep us posted Neil. 24-hr holter is quite short these days - but that'll certainly do if they're simply trying to assess low RHR.

Cardiologists divide themselves into electricians (beats, pacing) and plumbers (arteries, flow etc). Hopefully it's all good in terms of the latter and just a question of helping with the former.

Thanks Tom.

I think all is good with the latter just the low heart beat which to be honest I've had for years with no ill effects apart from a bit of breathlessness lately.

Speaking to the cardiologist tomorrow and hoping he'll just say carry on as you were, as they did about 10 years ago.

[stoneyloon]

I'm on my third, soon to be my fourth Pacemaker.

I got the first one fitted around 2000, aged 29, when I was diagnosed with complete heartblock. I'd had no symptoms as such but I'd had a relatively low heart beat since I was a child.
It got picked up during a routine medical to work in Denmark of all places. The doc asked for my previous ECG's to be forwarded to him for comparison but strangely, they were all missing! Whether this was true or they hadn't been looked at, we'll never know.

Most airports have detectors that are safe to stand in these days but I've had fun over the years, especially at smaller airports like Hassi Messaoud in Algeria and others in West Africa trying to explain my issue.

The op is relatively straight forward, mine have all been under local rather than general anaesthetic but I believe general is an option these days.

Feel free to ask any specific questions....

[thieuster]

There was a lady in the bed next to me, last time in the hospital when I went there for stents. She needed a new pacemaker. I was wheeled in and she was still waiting. When I returned, she was again on the bed. But, post-surgery already! A new pacemaker is a quicker job than two stents! And I was thinking that stents were a quick in-and-out job!

And what was written above: local anesthesia for her.

[Neil.C]

Thanks Gents.

Waiting for a letter from the cardiologist but to be honest I feel fine. Just back in from mowing the lawn and scraping up moss in the garden.

See what happens. I'll keep you posted.

[Omegamanic]

My father has just had his 2nd fitted.

The first needed some adjustment, as the wires weren’t quite in the right place. I believe they upped the power, so the battery ran out sooner.

With the second, he could feel pulsing when leaning back in his chair, so they turned it down - he currently complaining of being out of breath again when walking y the dog though, so…


Also, I understood they were going to replace the old one with a PM that had a built in Defibrillator- not sure if they did or not, but I was unaware of the tech until he mentioned it.

[Tom-P]

Also, I understood they were going to replace the old one with a PM that had a built in Defibrillator- not sure if they did or not, but I was unaware of the tech until he mentioned it.

Yes, an ICD - implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

[Neil.C]

I'll find out soon enough as I have a cardiologist appointment on the 25th of this month.

I have no symptoms so I will try and avoid having a pacemaker.