Living with a pacemaker

Your doctor may recommend that you not drive for at least 10 days following the placement of your pacemaker. Specific driving restrictions will depend on your health. You should also check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. And you should always tell all your health-care providers, including dentists, that you have a pacemaker.

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General guidelines for people with internal pacemakers:

• Memorize the manufacturer of your device.
• Check with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program.
• Do not drive until your healthcare provider allows you to do so.
• Stay at least eight feet away from arc welders.
• Avoid powerful magnets and heavy industrial equipment.
• Do not stand in entryways equipped with retail surveillance/shoplifting devices. Walking past at a normal speed should not interfere with the pacemaker.
• Keep cellular phones at least six inches from the pacemaker and use on the side opposite the implant.
• Do not lean over a running engine. Stand next to it.
• Do not have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Tell your healthcare provider about your pacemaker before a lithotripsy (procedure used to remove a kidney stone) or any procedures that involve using heat or electricity to burn tissue (cautery, diathermy, or radiation therapy).
• Whenever you have surgery, the surgeon must contact your cardiologist before the surgery because your pacemaker may need to be reprogrammed before the procedure.
• Before you receive any health care, be sure to tell the provider that you have a pacemaker.

Your pacemaker can transmit data to a hospital over the phone for evaluation. The battery will last for many years, but when it wears out, the pacemaker's generator will need to be replaced in a simple medical procedure. The leads may need to be repositioned or replaced as well.