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Subjective Consequences of Permanent Pacemaker Therapy in Patients Under the Age of Retirement
Author(s) -
MICKLEY HANS,
PETERSEN JAN,
NIELSEN BENT LYAGER
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1989.tb02676.x
Subject(s) - medicine , palpitations , quality of life (healthcare) , anxiety , cardiac pacemaker , physical therapy , psychiatry , nursing
During a 5‐year period, 81 patients ages 20 to 60 years old had implantation of a permanent cardiac pacemaker at the University Hospital, Odense. At follow‐up, during 1985, the 73 survivors received a semi‐structured questionnaire regarding subjective consequences of pacemaker therapy, and 72 people (98.6%) agreed to participate. The mean pacing period (range) was 33.8 (11–72) months. Surgical intervention was required in 14 patients (19.4%) during follow‐up. Regarding all symptoms 67 patients (93.1%) perceived benefit from the pacemaker. The effectiveness of cardiac pacing was most pronounced in subjects suffering from syncope and/or dizziness. Eight patients (11.1%) perceived anxiety most frequently due to fear of pacing failure. Physical complaints were present in 17 patients (23.6%), and the discomfort was mainly due to the size of generator, pain/tenderness from the scar or a sensation of “impulses”/palpitations. To the majority (49 patients or 68.1 %) pacemaker treatment did not influence quality of sexual activity. Six patients (8.3%) perceived an improvement, whereas a corresponding number felt deterioration in sexual activity following pacemaker implantation. Pacemaker therapy had not affected life quality in 30 (41.7%) of the patients. However 31 patients (43%) felt an improvement, and only a minority of ten patients (13.9%) perceived deterioration in quality of life owed to pacemaker therapy.