It’s now been two years since patient Jeff M., who had suffered a heart attack and numerous minor strokes, was implanted with a wireless combination pacemaker and defibrillator; one to keep his heartbeat steady and the other to automatically revive him, if needed.
Devices help manage heart condition
It was Jeff’s third major device procedure since becoming one of the first at the HonorHealth Research Institute to receive a wireless defibrillator nearly 12 years ago. Besides needing a battery replaced after about five years on that first defibrillator, which was swapped with a newer, slimmer one, it’s been clear sailing.
“I’m feeling good,” shares Jeff, who before the pacemaker suffered from a slow heartbeat that left him struggling to keep up with his grandchildren; three of them now, ages 4, 3 and 2-months. “I couldn’t do as much as I used to. Now, I can keep up with the grandkids better without getting wiped out.”
Jeff, who works from home as a computer database manager for a major pharmacy firm, is glad to have been at the forefront of the revolution in wireless heart devices.
“That’s the nice thing about these devices – I don’t have that lead wire going into my heart,” he explains. “This way, I just have to periodically get a new battery and I’m good to go.” He hopes the battery on his latest device will last for at least 10 years.
Clinical trial offers better quality of life
His devices have been implanted by Thomas Mattioni, MD, an electrophysiologist affiliated with the HonorHealth Research Institute’s Cardiovascular Research Division.
It hasn’t always been easy for Jeff, recalling a significant stroke in which he passed out while sitting in a chair at home. “I fell out of my chair and fell on the floor, where my son found me,” he shares.
He was taken to the hospital and given a blood thinner after temporarily losing control of his left side for about a day. “That was definitely a wakeup call,” Jeff adds.
Today, Jeff is grateful for the “fantastic” and “professional” care he’s received through the HonorHealth Research Institute.
“I’m still trying to keep on going, and I want to remain active,” he explains. “I have a better quality of life and get to do the things I want to do.”
Jeff is grateful for his continued success on his clinical trial. “I hope this device helps a lot of people in the future, and I want it to be successful,” he says. “I’m very happy with the folks running the study.”
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