I’m new on here , I had a HA a year ago & left hospital with an EF if 25% my last echo showed a small improvement to 34% I know I’ve HF but I really do feel fine & do 3 one hour gym sessions a week as well as walking a couple of days & back working part time , but I’m waiting for a cardiac MRI to basically confirm I will need an ICD fitted & this has petrified me , so has anyone had the procedure done ? & is it as bad as I’m imagining? I would be grateful to hear from anyone thank you in advance
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Lurganspur
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My husband has had an ICD fitted. It's a very simple procedure and you can usually watch it being fitted. The hospital should give you a list of what you can & can't do whilst the wound is healing & the leads are settling in. It normally takes bout an hr to be fitted and you're usually home the same day. My husbands EF is 30 & his ICD was fitted in 2012.
Thank you for answering me back 👍 I started to read & listen to a few people who said it lasted near 3 hours I nearly had another HA I’ve had a stent in from the night of my HA overall I feel good just really anxious about this. I hope your husband is doing well thanks again
Were they talking about ICD's or c-rtd's, perhaps they take longer? There are a few people in the forum who've had ICD's fitted more recently, I'm sure they'll be along shortly with more advice
I had an ICD fitted in August this year, and added a post about the day, link below, any questions please ask away. There really is nothing to be petrified about.
Thank you very much for that , I read your post & im slowly calming down 👍😄 I think I’m winding myself up about the whole going to hospital & being awake thing I just can’t get my head around but your post has been reassuring thank you
You really have nothing to worry about. Prior to my heart attack last December I had never been to hospital (except as a visitor) in my whole life, so the idea of hospital and operations was not something I was happy with! 😒
I actually enjoyed the day - you'll be fine, best wishes.
I also had one fitted in August. I really wound myself up about the whole thing, but on reflection, it was very simple, and took just over an hour. A lot of that time seemed to be people fiddling around in the theatre or analysing the device once fitted. Post-op was a different story. I wasn’t prepared for the side effects of Bisoprolol and was like a zombie. I’m now on a lower dose. All in all if took about 2 months for me to feel ‘normal’
I had one fitted in February 2018 at Royal Brompton and it was an easy painless procedure although I do get some discomfort if I lie on my left hand side sometimes other than that it’s fine
The I CD also monitors your heart constantly and checks for any irregularities I have also got a home monitor which relays information directly to the hospital
It might seem unnecessary but it could save your life
Hi had mine fitted last year following cardiac arrest so I didn't have any choice. It is a simple op and takes about an hour, you are awake but I didn't want to watch, no stitches, they glue you together. Had compression bandage on overnight and didn't get any secondary pain. You shouldn't put your left arm above the shoulder for a few weeks or until you go back for check up. It is nothing to get worried about and you forget that you have it fitted once the wound has healed. Don't forget it is your insurance - good luck
I have an ICD fitted - its no big deal, have had worse trips to the dentist. If you get the choice I would recommend surgical glue rather than staples or stitches.
Mine has never gone off, thanks to massive improvements to my heart condition due to drugs and a specialised pacemaker. My Ef was 28 and is now 39+
Keep you wound clean and have it inspected regularly during the healing process.
Hello, in addition to everyone’s experiences above, I’d like to add in my husband’s experience there’s no rush to have an ICD fitted unless your medical team advises otherwise. Your situation can change and 34% is after all only 1% less than the guideline figure of 35%.
My husband has Dilated Cardiomyopathy. When he was diagnosed his EF was 10-15% but that quickly improved with drug therapy to 25% and he was offered an ICD. He was told the 35% figure was picked as a reasonable figure to be used in studies but no studies have yet shown just where the cut-off should be or which patients are at highest risk and therefore really need an ICD oppose to those patients with low EF but also a low risk of an irregular/life threatening rhythm . He was very uncertain and extremely concerned about it going off inappropriately so he decided against it. His cardiac team said the offer would remain on the table and if he changed his mind just to phone and say and they’d take it forward.
A few months later after another Echo and Cardiac MRI, which he couldn’t have had with an ICD, he was told he had a bicuspid aortic valve (with only 2 petals instead of the usual 3) which wasn’t working at all well. He had stenosis (narrowing) and regurgitation (blood flowing back into the chamber it has just been pumped out of) and it needed replacing asap. Surgery was in January 2018. He took Ill-Health early retirement later that year and his EF improved to 45% as measured by an Echo this year.
Everyone is different and what is right for one person isn’t necessarily right for another. All you can do is listen to the advice of your cardiac team, discuss the whys and wherefore with them and make a decision you can live with. Then go out and live life, not dwelling on it either way. It’s hard for you and for your loved ones and I wish you all the best going forward.
My husband also had an ICD implanted in Sept 2018. He was very reluctant to have the device but finally succumbed to the doctors recommend. It’s a very simple procedure.
The morning after the implant my hubby got out of bed and declared “I feel great” His only regret was he didn’t have it done sooner.
My ICD went in on 1st April 2013 so it's an old friend. The insertion was painless- so much so that I was agitating to go home the next day and only failed as they couldn't find transport to get me home! Apart from not being able to have a full-on shower until the dressing came off, it was a problem free recovery. I found it uncomfortable- slightly- to lie on my left side for a year or so; it sticks out a bit but the scar is invisible. I am linked in with the cardiology team at Hereford County Hosp. via broadband. They see me every six months and the team that are in charge of my ICD look me over in person every six months and take a full down-load automatically every six months. But the machine keeps an eye on me 24/7 and knows when it needs to pace me and makes a record of the machine's activity. I find it IMMENSELY reassuring as I live in remote hill country and as I had an SCA, having my hand held feels good. I hope that he has the kind of support I have had from our local specialist nurse who regularly checks my medication (and sometimes recommends change), my BP, weight, bloods etc. I have got to know her and like her and she also gives me confidence. The ICD technology is one of the very few privileges we have and I am VERY grateful to be, if not the Bionic Man, at least the Medtronic Man.
Hi there I got my date for my ICD & am starting to get quite anxious about the procedure I just can’t get my head around being awake(tues 18th feb) I have been reading your post to me a while ago & you seemed to be like me a little anxious but did all go ok ? I’m 52 & have heart failure after a HA cheers
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