Enhancing longevity of pacemakers

Objective-This study was performed to observe the number of pacemakers that had never been reprogram-med after implantation, and the effect of optimised output programming on estimated longevity of pulse generators in patients with pacemaker Methods- Sixty patients with Teletronics Reflex pace-makers were evaluated in a pacemaker clinic, from the time of the beginning of its activities, in June 1998, until March 1999. Telemetry was performed during the first cli-nic visit, and we observed how many pulse generators re-tained nominal output settings of the manufactures indica-ting the absence of reprogramming until that date. After evaluation of the capture threshold, reprogramming of pa-cemakers was performed with a safety margin of 2 to 2.5:1, and we compared the estimated longevity based on batte-ry current at the manufacturer’s settings with that based on settings achieved after reprogramming. Results- In 95 % of the cases, the original program-med setting was never reprogrammed before the patients attended the pacemaker clinic. Reprogramming the pace-maker prolonged estimated pulse generator life by 19.7±15.6 months (35.5%). Conclusion- The majority of the pacemakers evalua-ted had never been reprogrammed. Estimated pulse gene-rator longevity can be prolonged significantly, using this simple, safe, efficacious, and cost-effective procedure