The following graph shows that 2% of people with Pacemakers are under the age of 22, 4% between 22-49, 10% between 50-65 and 84% over 65 years of age.  The most frequently asked questions are: Will I need to make any life style changes after my pacemaker is implanted? There are no significant lifestyle changes that you will need to make as a result of having a pacemaker implanted. Most patients resume their normal activities soon after implantation. How often will I need to have my pacemaker checked? Most pacing patients have their pacemakers checked at least twice a year, more frequently if the pacemaker is new or the battery is running out. Do I have to take any precautions at the airport? If you walk through the metal detector at the airport, it will not harm you or your pacemaker. However because your pacemaker is encased in a metal shell, it is possible that the pacemaker may set off the security alarm. If you show your ID card, the security agent will allow you to pass around the metal detector. They would then scan you with the hand wand everywhere other then over the device. Is there a chance my pacemaker might fail? There is only a remote possibility that your pacemaker might fail. However, the technological advances that have been made in pacemaker technology makes this highly unlikely. Whats the newest research in pacemaker development? There are specialized pacemakers which use a three-lead system, are under evaluation to determine whether or not biventricular (right and left atrium) pacing will improve the pumping ability of a weakened heart muscle in patients with heart failure. What are the age statistics for people with pacemakers? In the past 40 years over 2 million pacemakers have been implanted. Each year 500,000 devices are implanted, half in new patients while the other half are replacements. The need for pacing is not sexist. It is equally devided between men and woman. Pacemakers are implanted in people from all walks of life from politicians, world-class athletes, business leaders, celebrities and students. SO IF YOU HAVE A PACEMAKER, ALWAYS REMEMBER YOURE NOT ALONE!!!!!!!!!! Is there such a thing as Solar Powered Pacemakers? Researchers at Osaka Univerisity in Japan hope to avoid this by building in a battery that can be recharged through the patients skin. The prototype pacemaker measures 40 mm by 30 mm by 5 mm and is attached to a solar cell 20 mm square. The researches implanted the prototype in a mouse. They shin a beam of laser onto the skin to charge up the battery. A two hour charge kept the battery going for 22 hours. Researchers say the system could be used for other internal medical devices as well such as artificial inner ears or insulin pumps. Whats the worlds smallest pacemaker? In Protland, Oregon a premature baby with a heart defect was fitted with the worlds smallest pacemaker on November 8, 2000. The pacemaker was an experimental device when implanted. The baby Alexandra Schuck, born six weeks early with a congenital heart condition was fitted with the pacemaker which was the size of a quarter. St. Jude Medical developed the new heart-regulating device called a Microny. It is about on third of the size of a traditional pacemaker and is undergoing FDA clinical trials. It performs all the functions of a regular sized pacemaker.
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