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Pacemaker & Defibrillator Check

Best Pacemaker & Defibrillator Check in Patchogue, New Hyde Park & Hicksville, NY

Remote Maintenance Service to Keep Your Heart Beating

Best Pacemaker & Defibrillator CheckMany people rely on implanted pacemakers or defibrillators to stimulate their hearts to maintain a regular pace and rhythm. While the Lithium-ion batteries used to power these devices have a long lifespan, they don’t last forever. At Brookhaven Heart, our medical experts will check your pacemaker or defibrillator on a regular basis to monitor the battery and replace it as needed. Our remote diagnostic services make it easy for you to keep your pacemaker or defibrillator in top condition all of the time.

Helping You Keep Your Heart Ticking

At Brookhaven Heart, we are committed to keeping you and your heart healthy. As part of that goal, we work hard to prevent complications that can impede your heart’s functioning. By ensuring that your pacemaker or defibrillator stay in top condition, for example, we can help prevent serious issues from left or right bundle branch blocks, which occur when something blocks the electrical charge that stimulates your heart muscle. When the natural electrical stimulus fails, a properly working pacemaker or defibrillator will kick in to keep your heart pumping.

If you have a pacemaker or defibrillator, schedule regular on-site or remote checks with your Brookhaven Heart team so we can make sure your device is ready for action at any sign of trouble.

Medicare Pacemaker Checking Guidelines

Medicare recently published new guidelines for both replacing and checking the proper function of a pacemaker. Previously, patients would change out their pacemakers after a given period, whether or not the unit was still functioning. Medicare now requires that the old pacemaker switch over to “end of life” mode before patients replace it. This should ensure that patients take advantage of the new pacemaker model’s full lifespan.

Of course, like any current medical technology, the pacemaker must also be monitored. Your heart doctor will regularly examine the battery and functionality of your pacemaker. Pacemakers address heart conditions. Because of this, the proper care and examination of pacemakers play a vital role in patients’ safety and health. Your heart doctor understands this – and so does Medicare.

Pacemaker Checkup Cost

After undergoing a pacemaker installation, you’ll most likely schedule checkups with your doctor throughout the year. These checkups help your doctor ensure that your pacemaker is running optimally and keeping your heart healthy. Most people want to know the cost of these checkups.

At Brookhaven Heart, we’re dedicated to you, our patients. Because of this, we price our services competitively within the healthcare industry. We know that our patients are looking for affordable and efficient services, especially for their pacemakers. In many cases, insurance will cover checkups. You’ll want to speak with your particular insurance company. Alternatively, give us a call for available payment options.

Pacemaker Checkup Frequency

If you’ve recently had a pacemaker implanted, you’re most likely curious about your follow-up visits. How often should you schedule a checkup? After your implant, you’ll want to follow-up with your doctor within 1 to 2 weeks. During this visit, you’ll undergo an extensive check, ensuring the device is functioning correctly and has taken to your body. Then, you and your doctor will discuss remote home monitoring. Remote monitoring means fewer visits to the doctor’s office, saving you time, money, and gas.

An existing pacemaker should be checked every three months, depending on age and model. Your check-up will typically include monitoring the battery. As the battery grows low, your device checkups will increase in frequency to once every 4 to 6 weeks. In the end, only your doctor should determine the frequency of your checkups. If you have any questions regarding a checkup, or when to schedule, call Brookhaven Heart today!

A Pacemaker Check or Defibrillator Check from the Comfort of Your Own Home

At Brookhaven Heart, we aim to help you improve your life – and that includes ensuring that your heart healthcare is as simple, effective and efficient as possible. With our remote diagnostic technology, we can check your pacemaker or defibrillator for you while you go about your daily routine.

What is a pacemaker check?

A full pacemaker check should be performed by your doctor every six weeks after the pacemaker is first implanted. It is crucial that you schedule regular checkups. During the checkup, your doctor will determine how well the pacemaker is functioning, if the battery is withstanding, and other variables. Furthermore, your doctor will decide whether the device has detected or treated any abnormal heart rhythms.

Should the battery level of your pacemaker begin to deteriorate, it is necessary to change out the pacemaker. Typically, these units last for four to eight years. Once every year, you will require a complete exam at the hospital or doctor’s office. Sometimes, a pacemaker needs adjustment, which your physician can handle at the office using external computerized devices known as a programmer/recorder/monitor (PRM). The PRM communicates using radio waves to ensure increased heart functionality and performance of the pacemaker.

How is a pacemaker check performed?

A pacemaker check should be performed at the time of installation and regular intervals from thereafter. Depending on the type of pacemaker implanted, these checks may be performed every three months or 12 months. Your doctor will determine which schedule is best suited to your needs beforehand. When a pacemaker is examined after it is implanted, a cardiac technician or your doctor will gather information on the battery lifespan and performance. Typically, pacemakers store this information.

The pacemaker check itself involves a magnet being placed over the pacemaker, which effectively changes the rate at which the device functions. This rate change is then analyzed by an external computer, which reprograms the internal pacemaker to better suit individual requirements and heart rhythms. This very same computer will examine battery life and abnormalities in heart rhythm. Regarding battery life, your average pacemaker will last for 5 to 10 years. Batteries do occasionally fail, which is why regular pacemaker checks are so important.

What information can be obtained from a pacemaker check?

During your regularly-scheduled pacemaker check, your doctor will examine a variety of information collected by the device. For instance, the battery level will be considered, as, without a functioning battery, the pacemaker cannot gather heart rhythm information. Furthermore, the overall functionality of the pacemaker is obtained during a checkup. Should your doctor feel the pacemaker is not working as it should, the unit will be reprogrammed using an external computer to increase productivity and function.

Everyone is different. Your pacemaker will be programmed to suit your particular heart and rhythms. In some cases, the cardiac technician may request you walk around the office, then return after five minutes. This short exercise will reveal how your heart performs when walking/exercising. The technician will then record all gathered information in an individual chart, which is updated during each visit to the doctor.

What happens after a pacemaker check?

You should never worry about a pacemaker check. The entire process is quite simple and straightforward. Either your doctor or a cardiac technician will walk you through the whole process. Setup is simple, and so is the aftermath.

Once the pacemaker check is complete, the stickers attached to your chest will be removed by the doctor or technician. Afterward, your doctor will discuss any results gathered from the pacemaker. He or she will go over any reprogramming that is required. All information will be recorded adequately in your patient chart and kept until the next appointment, where it will be updated as needed. Lastly, your next pacemaker check will be scheduled. All-in-all, your pacemaker should be working as intended without any issues.

Contact Brookhaven Heart Today

Schedule your pacemaker or defibrillator service today.

In Patchogue: (631) 654-3278

In New Hyde Park: (631) 654-3278

Request an appointment with our online form.

Thank you for letting Brookhaven Heart help you!

 

Welcome to Brookhaven Heart

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