Health Watch: Giving heart patients hope

Innovative technology is constantly changing our lives. It leads to new and exciting adventures and lifesaving enhancements that forever change and impact the way we live. For example, it may surprise you that about 10,000 Americans with heart failure or an arrhythmia have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to monitor their heart and deliver a lifesaving pulse that prevents sudden death. An ICD is powered by batteries that need to be replaced every few years. This procedure isn’t always covered by insurance and is costly. That is why The Hype magazine joins Emily and Dr. Stein, Chief Medical Officer, Rhythm Management, Boston Scientific to discuss their personal experiences and how advancements in technology are helping to improve outcomes for patients around the world.

Emily, how were you diagnosed and what was it like to learn you would need a heart device for the rest of your life?

I was in high school when I began experiencing signs of dizziness and shortness of breath when doing physical activity and then I went to a doctor and shortly after was diagnosed with a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which puts me at high risk for cardiac arrest. So, at age 19, I received my first implanted pacemaker defibrillator.

Dr. Stein, how do ICDS work and how has technology evolved to help people like Emily?

At Boston Scientific, we actually developed the first ever ICD that was brought to market in the United States and that’s why we’re sponsoring this interview today. The ICD is basically an electronic device that gets implanted under the skin and then there’s a wire or a lead that goes through a blood vessel into the heart itself. What it does is just monitors every heartbeat, and if a patient has a cardiac arrest, it actually can give a shock to the heart just like on TV with the paddles and bring patients back to a normal heart rhythm. It’s kind of like having your own emergency medical technician implanted inside your body.

Dr. Stein, why is battery longevity so important for doctors and healthcare systems?

Battery longevity is very important to our patients, but also to the healthcare system as a whole. What a lot of people don’t recognize until they actually have one of these implanted, is these are not like sort of simple consumer electronics like a TV remote where you just flip off a panel and replace the battery when it needs to be changed. These devices are hermetically sealed, and because of that, when the battery runs down it actually takes a full surgical procedure to take out the whole unit and put a new unit in.

Emily, how many device replacements have you had and how has this impacted you and your family?

It’s been huge! I’ve had three devices in the past 14 years. My first two devices each lasted between two and five years, which really increased my concern around the expenses and the financial, emotional ramifications of these devices. Since then, I’ve had my Boston Scientific device for the past seven years and it’s still expected to last another five.

Where can we go for more information?

We’ve actually got now nine different studies that show that this battery lasts up to twice as long as some of the older batteries or some of the competitive batteries that are out there and you can find that information on a website that’s called device longevity.com. Or for folks who’ve got specific questions about their own condition just talk to your own doctor.

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About the Author

David Morales is the Executive Editor of The Hype magazine. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, David has a background as an artist manager, writer, blogger, drummer, and in the human services industry. He is passionate about helping others, learning and has a deep empathy for the creative process. You can follow his social media @dcypherstudios