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margi a. Family Member

heartmate 3 'beats'

Thu, 06/02/2016 - 9:45PM
Hi everyone! My farher was implanted by a heartmate 3, three months ago. He is slowly recovering from the surgery and getting used to the device. Yet he always feels something like mehanical 'beats' in the thorax. He can't decide whether its origin is the heartmate or maybe the pacemaker he already had before. This feeling is new to him and very uncomfortable. The doctors can't find the reason. Does anyone have any idea of what these beats are? Any change of the device parameters can maybe improve this issue? Thank you so much and loth of health.
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Fred L.

Thu, 08/11/2016 - 11:27AM
I asked my doctor the same thing and he said that every third pulse of the pump the controller drops the speed for an instant so that organs that were used to having a rhythmic beat are satisfied.
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Gregory D.

Wed, 07/20/2016 - 2:34PM
I also have an IDC pacemaker, and opps, they forgot to turn off the Left Channel of the pacemaker. I had exactly the same feeling as the IDC kept trying to pace the left side. And once my IDC had the left side disabled the odd feelings and jumps stopped. Have his cardiologist make sure his PM is OFF for the Left side. Drops in speed are directly related to the PI of the controller to keep the right side from creating a suction event. I have had my LVAD for 3 years and 3 months, and once my PM had the left side disabled nothing more than waking up each day. By the by, organs don't need a rhythmic beat. Just flowing blood.