2024-10-31

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

Today I had ICD surgery or Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator .  Almost a decade ago I had a minor heart attack, got to the Emergency Room and they put in a stent to expand the constricted artery supplying my heart with blood.  I also have had subsequent stent repair surgery.  All in all these were not difficult surgeries to go through and ultimately were life saving.  

But recently I had a decline in my hearts ability to contract and pump the blood.  So my cardiologist prescribed an external defibrillator  and I have used that for a good half year or more although usually it is a short term interim solution until one can get the ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator).  My nature is to do though research on serious matters before proceeding and with all the other issues I am dealing with today this kept getting postpones.  Naturally I had trepidations but finally I decided to go ahead with the surgery.  Before the surgery I did go to YouTube and did extensive research on the procedure.  There are several different ICD depending on the patients condition.  But my ICD was a single chamber (Ventricle) type from Medtronic.  This had just one lead from the ICD implanted in the left shoulder just below the collar bone to the heart.  The concept is that the ICD constantly monitors the heart beat and if it senses that the heart beat is too fast and in the case of pacemakers also too slow (I may need to do some better clarification here) it can send a pulse to reset the pulse and for a serious problem it may shock the heart and save the patient’s life., 

The surgery was performed at White Oak Medical Facility in Maryland by Dr. Mofrad.  The surgery took just a little over an hour and was totally painless at the time and it is now 6 hours after the surgery and still totally painless after the anesthetic wore off.    I have a few restrictions for various activities to protect the equipment, wire, and my body but they are not a problem and all make perfect sense.  

In conclusion I strongly recommend the procedure for anyone who requires it along with Dr. Mofrad and the White Oak Medical Facility.