quote:

BI-VENTRICULAR ICD / PACEMAKER
What is it?
A special type of pacing therapy is a device that paces both sides of the lower chambers of the heart, the right and left ventricles, so as to help treat heart failure. This type of pacing is called "biventricular pacing" and the therapy provided by biventricular pacing is called "Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy" (abbreviated as "CRT"). CRT is useful for patients in whom there is uncoordinated activation of the heart muscle. With this problem the pumping function of the heart muscle is not synchronized. Thus, although many portions of the heart muscle may be able to squeeze, because the electrical signals do not activate all the areas of the heart muscle in a simultaneous manner, the heart muscle does not contract in synchrony and the pumping function of the heart is inefficient. CRT helps improve the electrical timing of the heart and tries to restore coordinated pumping action of the ventricles. Although CRT would seem to be important and advantageous for every patient, CRT is beneficial for only certain patients.
The decision whether to use CRT will be made by your cardiologist or electrophysiologist. The features to be considered include if you have congestive heart failure and are taking certain medications and if there is evidence for electrical or mechanical dyssynchrony in the heart. An ultrasound picture of the heart (an echocardiogram) may also be helpful to determine if CRT may be beneficial.
A biventricular pacemaker performs in an identical manner as other pacemakers with regards to delivering electrical stimulus to prevent the heart rate from going too slow. The additional therapy of the CRT device, though, is that it helps coordinate the electrical activity of the heart by simultaneously pacing both lower chambers of the heart to help treat congestive heart failure. This can help reduce shortness of breath and may improve the ability for you to perform daily activities.
Implantation of a CRT pacemaker is similar to implantation of other pacemakers; however, it does require placement of a third pacing lead. In some patients with an unusual anatomy, placement of this third lead can be difficult. Successful implantation of a CRT device is about 95%.
In appropriately selected patients, about 70% of patients respond to CRT. There are many features that can be altered in the programming of the pacemaker and, if necessary, the third lead can be turned off.

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Originally posted by sjtill:
Sounds like you're getting just what you need, beltfed. If there are three leads as you say, then you are getting a biventricular pacemaker/ICD.

Here's an explanation of how it works:

quote:

BI-VENTRICULAR ICD / PACEMAKER
What is it?
A special type of pacing therapy is a device that paces both sides of the lower chambers of the heart, the right and left ventricles, so as to help treat heart failure. This type of pacing is called "biventricular pacing" and the therapy provided by biventricular pacing is called "Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy" (abbreviated as "CRT"). CRT is useful for patients in whom there is uncoordinated activation of the heart muscle. With this problem the pumping function of the heart muscle is not synchronized. Thus, although many portions of the heart muscle may be able to squeeze, because the electrical signals do not activate all the areas of the heart muscle in a simultaneous manner, the heart muscle does not contract in synchrony and the pumping function of the heart is inefficient. CRT helps improve the electrical timing of the heart and tries to restore coordinated pumping action of the ventricles. Although CRT would seem to be important and advantageous for every patient, CRT is beneficial for only certain patients.
The decision whether to use CRT will be made by your cardiologist or electrophysiologist. The features to be considered include if you have congestive heart failure and are taking certain medications and if there is evidence for electrical or mechanical dyssynchrony in the heart. An ultrasound picture of the heart (an echocardiogram) may also be helpful to determine if CRT may be beneficial.
A biventricular pacemaker performs in an identical manner as other pacemakers with regards to delivering electrical stimulus to prevent the heart rate from going too slow. The additional therapy of the CRT device, though, is that it helps coordinate the electrical activity of the heart by simultaneously pacing both lower chambers of the heart to help treat congestive heart failure. This can help reduce shortness of breath and may improve the ability for you to perform daily activities.
Implantation of a CRT pacemaker is similar to implantation of other pacemakers; however, it does require placement of a third pacing lead. In some patients with an unusual anatomy, placement of this third lead can be difficult. Successful implantation of a CRT device is about 95%.
In appropriately selected patients, about 70% of patients respond to CRT. There are many features that can be altered in the programming of the pacemaker and, if necessary, the third lead can be turned off.

Link

Best of luck to you with your new friend!

quote:

By the way, have you started on that book your wife suggested?

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:

quote:

By the way, have you started on that book your wife suggested?

[blushing emoji]
Ummmm...not yet, beltfed.

But you should ask your electrophysiologist to clarify, I think. As you can see in the article I posted, CRT doesn’t work in everyone and patients must be selected on the basis of heart failure symptoms, EKG (wide QRS indicating lack of synchrony between ventricles) and echocardiogram results.

My EP guy told me when we had such patients that even if the EF didn’t improve, most people functionally improved.