We have high regard for the Medtronic company that has been making battery powered pacemakers for decades. Their website describes how their founders had a deep moral purpose … to use their scientific knowledge to help others. It follows we should help them spread news about an isolated pacemaker battery failure they are dealing with as fast as they can.
Reports of Pacemaker Battery Failure in Three Devices
However, the probability of these failures repeating is statistically extremely low. Nonetheless, the FDA advises medical providers remain alert for “decreases in battery level out of proportion to the life of the device”. We append an FDA link at the end of this post, as we are not competent to provide medical advice.
However, we are able to supply technical information regarding the circumstances surrounding the three battery failures. Again, we are indebted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the information we share here. We understand the pacemaker battery failure is due to a crack in a capacitor. This results in an electric short circuit causing the battery to drain faster than it should.
The Effect the Fast Draining Batteries Had
Medtronic advises in all three cases health care providers were unable to log on to patient pacemakers. These events occurred within an average seven months after implantation and within one year.
The devices should last between seven to fifteen years if operating correctly. One pacemaker-dependent patient tragically died, while the second one experienced dizziness. The third had a lucky break when their provider tested their device before they implanted it. The FDA recommends patients and caregivers ensure remote monitors remain plugged in.
They should further “check that home monitoring transmissions are successful and occurring at the prescribed times”. That way, health care providers will receive notifications of battery level drops, and be able to make informed care decisions about possible pacemaker battery failure.
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