Tweet
[TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Mary Catania (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-23-02 11:56
Hi Everyone,
I'm scheduled for a NIPS (or NIBS) test of my new ICD. This is the test in which the patient is sedated and they test to see if the ICD will deliver a shock. I had this test the day after my surgery. How necessary is it to have this additional test, especially since the ICD will be interrogated every 3 months? I'm not thrilled about spending the whole day accomplishing this, what with the travelling, the waiting, etc. Of course, if it's absolutely necessary I will do it.
Thanks,
Mary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Sarah B.-Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-23-02 14:53
Dear Mary
Well, as horrible as it sounds of a test, I think I would want to make sure my ICD works. Leads can come loose (albeit not often) and the one post surgery was before you have been up and about, so if something came loose, now would be the time to check.
good luck and take care,
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-23-02 18:57
Mary,
I don't know about your doctors, but my husband hasn't had any extra tests of his ICD besides the interrogation (where they check the battery life by pacing him) since it was put in in Aug. 2000. Good luck.
Reenie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Mary Catania (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-24-02 11:55
Reenie and Sarah,
Thanks for your answers to my question.
It seems to me that different doctors have different ideas about that testing. On the ZAPPER message board, I found that some people had the testing, while others didn't. Isn't it possible to determine if the leads are still in place with a simple x-ray? But then the x-ray couldn't determine whether the ICD was working properly, even if the leads were intact. But wouldn't a simple interrogation tell us if the ICD is working?
After all is said and done, of course I would want to know that the leads are intact and the ICD is working. I'm just not a proponent of undergoing invasive, and possibly detrimental, medical procedures if it's not absolutely necessary...especially if there is an easier alternative. So now what I'm wondering is wouldn't x-ray and interrogation suffice?
Mary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Sarah B.-Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-24-02 12:21
Dear Mary,
I would ask your doctor --since it seems not to be a clear cut "have to" procedure, you are entitled to "have it your way". I don't have an ICD myself, but if I were you I would talk to the doctor and let them know how you want to go forward.
take care
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-24-02 13:09
Mary, is it a pacer/icd or just an icd? Like I said, my husband's is a pacer too and that's how they check the battery on his. I think they've done a couple of xrays too, to see the leads. But if yours isnt' a pacer too, then they might have to do the other test??? I'm not sure. Please ask your EP who placed the device. He/she would know.
Reenie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Julie (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-24-02 21:27
Mary, I have had my ICD for 3 years now and have never had that done. It was never mentioned to me, but then again I did get shocked 3 months after implantation and 5 times since so I know the baby works! I go every 6 months and that is about it for now.
Take care,
Julie
Author: Mary Catania (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-23-02 11:56
Hi Everyone,
I'm scheduled for a NIPS (or NIBS) test of my new ICD. This is the test in which the patient is sedated and they test to see if the ICD will deliver a shock. I had this test the day after my surgery. How necessary is it to have this additional test, especially since the ICD will be interrogated every 3 months? I'm not thrilled about spending the whole day accomplishing this, what with the travelling, the waiting, etc. Of course, if it's absolutely necessary I will do it.
Thanks,
Mary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Sarah B.-Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-23-02 14:53
Dear Mary
Well, as horrible as it sounds of a test, I think I would want to make sure my ICD works. Leads can come loose (albeit not often) and the one post surgery was before you have been up and about, so if something came loose, now would be the time to check.
good luck and take care,
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-23-02 18:57
Mary,
I don't know about your doctors, but my husband hasn't had any extra tests of his ICD besides the interrogation (where they check the battery life by pacing him) since it was put in in Aug. 2000. Good luck.
Reenie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Mary Catania (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-24-02 11:55
Reenie and Sarah,
Thanks for your answers to my question.
It seems to me that different doctors have different ideas about that testing. On the ZAPPER message board, I found that some people had the testing, while others didn't. Isn't it possible to determine if the leads are still in place with a simple x-ray? But then the x-ray couldn't determine whether the ICD was working properly, even if the leads were intact. But wouldn't a simple interrogation tell us if the ICD is working?
After all is said and done, of course I would want to know that the leads are intact and the ICD is working. I'm just not a proponent of undergoing invasive, and possibly detrimental, medical procedures if it's not absolutely necessary...especially if there is an easier alternative. So now what I'm wondering is wouldn't x-ray and interrogation suffice?
Mary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Sarah B.-Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-24-02 12:21
Dear Mary,
I would ask your doctor --since it seems not to be a clear cut "have to" procedure, you are entitled to "have it your way". I don't have an ICD myself, but if I were you I would talk to the doctor and let them know how you want to go forward.
take care
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-24-02 13:09
Mary, is it a pacer/icd or just an icd? Like I said, my husband's is a pacer too and that's how they check the battery on his. I think they've done a couple of xrays too, to see the leads. But if yours isnt' a pacer too, then they might have to do the other test??? I'm not sure. Please ask your EP who placed the device. He/she would know.
Reenie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: TESTING NEW ICD]
Author: Julie (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-24-02 21:27
Mary, I have had my ICD for 3 years now and have never had that done. It was never mentioned to me, but then again I did get shocked 3 months after implantation and 5 times since so I know the baby works! I go every 6 months and that is about it for now.
Take care,
Julie