If you have a child with a pacemaker, it’s important to have the device regularly checked through what is known as pacemaker interrogation. At Children’s Cardiology Group in Orange, Newport Beach and Mission Viejo, California, the team of expert cardiologists performs this interrogation on your child’s device routinely or if it doesn’t seem to be functioning appropriately. Call the nearest location or communicate via the online tool to have a pacemaker interrogation scheduled.
Your child may need a pacemaker if their heart beats either too slowly or too quickly, or if it doesn’t beat in a regular rhythm. If your child has a block in the heart’s electrical pathways, they may have a pacemaker inserted.
The pacemaker itself is a small device that helps to regulate your heart’s rhythm with a small electric stimulation. It’s implanted just under the skin of your chest or abdomen and hooked up to your heart with tiny wires.
The pacemaker can communicate through the skin with an outside programmer. To perform this so-called interrogation, a technician places a wand over your chest where the device is located. The procedure takes about 10-15 minutes.
A pacemaker interrogation is a routine procedure. The doctor can assess your child’s device in terms of programming, battery life, and functioning of the wires and leads. It’s important to ensure the device is properly conducting electricity to and from your heart. Your pediatric cardiologist provides a customized maintenance schedule including in-office check-ups and well as at-home checks via a telephone line.
The doctors would like to check your child’s pacemaker every 3-6 months. A normal pacemaker battery usually lasts 5-8 years. When the pacemaker’s battery does run out, surgery is required to replace it.
During the interrogation, a specialized wand communicates with a programmer or computer. The programmer gathers valuable information from the memory of the pacemaker so the team can change any programmed settings if necessary.
If you have any questions or concerns about your pacemaker and its functioning, raise them at a pacemaker interrogation meeting.
Your child doesn’t need to do anything special in advance of a pacemaker interrogation appointment. All of the necessary equipment to evaluate your pacemaker is available at the offices of Children’s Cardiology Group.
If your child has a pacemaker to regulate their heart, regular pacemaker interrogations are required to make sure it is functioning as it should. Call the nearest office or book online to have your child’s pacemaker evaluated if it’s due.
