I'm getting a pacemaker!

[Donald G. Burns]

In a few days the doc's are installing a pacemaker to control my A Fib heart failure and one of the things listed in the documents is to avoid using a table saw. Is there anyone on the forum that has a pacemaker and has seen a real problem from using the saw?

Don

[Matt Day]

Why wouldn’t you be able to use a TS? Cardiologist concerned about your fingers?!

[Erik Loza]

Curious to know, as well. My dad had one for almost 20 years and was in the shop all the time.

Erik

[Bruce Page]

Donald, in normal use it doesn’t sound like it's a problem. (no hugging your table saw)

Keep at least 12 inches (30 cm) away from your pacemaker:
• Battery-powered cordless power tools
• Chainsaws
• Corded drills and power tools
• Lawn mowers
• Leaf blowers
• Remote controls with antennas
• Shop tools (drills, table saws, etc.)
• Slot machines
• Snow blowers
• Stereo speakers

https://www.bostonscientific.com/content/gwc/en-US/patients/about-your-device/pacemakers/living-with-a-pacemaker/using-household-appliances-and-tools.html

[Pat Barry]

In a few days the doc's are installing a pacemaker to control my A Fib heart failure and one of the things listed in the documents is to avoid using a table saw. Is there anyone on the forum that has a pacemaker and has seen a real problem from using the saw?

Don

Ask a bunch of woodworkers or ask your cardiologist?

[william watts]

I've had a pace maker for 8 years. The battery was getting weak so they replaced it with a newer version, about a year ago. I did not get any specific warning from the doctor. They do warn about magnet fields, and r.f. radition from things like motors and microwaves in the manual. Like many warnings maybe somebody without real measurements is overly cautious. I have 3 hp saw stop, a 1.75 up bandsaw, jointer,; planer, routers, all the usual portable power tools, it's my hobbie so not heavy use . I am still in a vertical position. A person needs to live their life.

You will receive "Pacer check" every few months. Pacers store data and the technicians can read that data to check for for anomalies, when they occurred, how severe, and if is Pacer working normally.

[Donald G. Burns]

Thanks all for the replies.

I did speak to the specialist installing the pacemaker and she said no welding, other than that she didn't see a problem. I figured I'd ask others using shop tools what they were told to avoid. She also said it WILL be installed on my left, won't install it on my right side which is a problem for me since I shoot trap and am left handed/left eye dominate. Guess I'll be selling a few shotguns or having a recoil reduction system installed.

[Lee Schierer]

Thanks all for the replies.

I did speak to the specialist installing the pacemaker and she said no welding, other than that she didn't see a problem. I figured I'd ask others using shop tools what they were told to avoid. She also said it WILL be installed on my left, won't install it on my right side which is a problem for me since I shoot trap and am left handed/left eye dominate. Guess I'll be selling a few shotguns or having a recoil reduction system installed.

Did you ask about shooting shotguns with it installed on the left? Or you can wear special glasses when you shoot that fuzz the left eye and make the right eye do the work and shoot right handed. I've seen this work with right handed people that are left eye dominant.

[Myk Rian]

I'm on my 3rd PM/Defib. Shop tools won't bother it. Magnetic fields can. It will beep as a warning. I stay away from weed wackers, chain saws, etc.
A couple years ago I had an MRI. Several team members were there just in case. It went well.
Not sure about a shotgun though.

[Von Bickley]

I have had a PM/Defib. since 2006. I am on my 5th. one now. I have used all of the tools listed above with no problems. I don't go thru metal detectors but I do everything else that I want to do. They give you a card to show people at metal detectors so they can scan you with a hand-held detector.

[Stephen Tashiro]

The Boston Scientific page: https://www.bostonscientific.com/content/gwc/en-US/patients/about-your-device/pacemakers/living-with-a-pacemaker/using-household-appliances-and-tools.html says to keep your pacemaker at least 12 inches away from a table saw. It isn't clear if that means 12 inches away from the motor or 12 inches away from the table. Also keep cordless drills 12 inches away.

[Jim Koepke]

It isn't clear if that means 12 inches away from the motor or 12 inches away from the table.

This is likely to avoid the magnetic field of the motor interfering with the pacemaker. It is possible the metal table of the saw can act as an antenna for the magnetic fields of the motor.

This would be my guess without knowing what has driven the medical community to include this warning.

jtk

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It's my understanding that most of the pacemakers when I retired in 2011 were located near the skin and programable via a laptop and an RF signal applied using a coil on the skin near the implanted device. I suspect the it could be the EMFs (electromagnetic fields) created by the table saw motor and the drills. Without knowing the manner in which the cordless drills are designed, they may use a high frequency oscillator powered by the battery to generate the variable speed drive for the motor.

[Frank Pratt]

Did you ask about shooting shotguns with it installed on the left? Or you can wear special glasses when you shoot that fuzz the left eye and make the right eye do the work and shoot right handed. I've seen this work with right handed people that are left eye dominant.

I'm left eye dominant as well. No amount of lens correction will make my right eye work for fine resolution tasks. It's not a matter of focus, lenses can fix that. It's that the two eyes don't focus on the same point, so the brain has learned to give the right eye subservient and it's imaging information is given less priority. Otherwise, I'd be seeing double all the time. Because of a lifetime of this, even when my left eye is closed, it's very difficult to read or do fine work (like target shooting). The optometrist says that if my left eye went blind, the right would eventually perform better, but that would probably take a couple of years to happen.

It's quite marvelous how the brain compensates for these things. The right eye still contributes to peripheral vision, and the images from both eyes are merged so things look 'normal' to me. the only real problem it causes is that I have no depth perception that normally comes with having stereoscopic vision.

[Tom Stenzel]

Thanks all for the replies.

I did speak to the specialist installing the pacemaker and she said no welding, other than that she didn't see a problem. I figured I'd ask others using shop tools what they were told to avoid. She also said it WILL be installed on my left, won't install it on my right side which is a problem for me since I shoot trap and am left handed/left eye dominate. Guess I'll be selling a few shotguns or having a recoil reduction system installed.

That's odd, when my father got a pacemaker in 1982 he was asked which side he wanted it on. At the time he didn't have a preference so his was on the right side. Only later did he think about shooting.

Over the 20 years he lived after having his first pacemaker one was recalled due to premature battery failure. I *think* he had to have them replaced every 5 years or so. I'm hoping the tech had changed in the decades since then. I think Dad's might of had some twin triodes in it or something like that.:D

-Tom

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks all for the replies.

I did speak to the specialist installing the pacemaker and she said no welding, other than that she didn't see a problem. I figured I'd ask others using shop tools what they were told to avoid. She also said it WILL be installed on my left, won't install it on my right side which is a problem for me since I shoot trap and am left handed/left eye dominate. Guess I'll be selling a few shotguns or having a recoil reduction system installed.

David, make sure you tell the doctor/nurse as soon as possible that you are a left handed shooter and would like to have the pacemaker installed in a different location. I don't know but they might have a different cable length available that would accommodate your situation. If told in advance, they might be able to get a device that would allow it to happen.

[Roger Feeley]

Interesting problem. I wonder if there is a market for shop coats with imbedded copper mesh. Sort of a body Farraday cage

[Bill Dufour]

I am sure they meant electric welding only. Gas welding should be fine.
Bill D

[Rick Potter]

I also had a pacemaker for my A-Fib for about 6 or 7 years, which was replaced with a new one a year ago. I specifically asked both the doctor and the Boston Scientific pacemaker rep about power tools. They said the only thing I had (full WW shop) that I could not use was my wire welder.

I again asked the same questions when I got the new pacemaker a year ago, and it is even better. I now have a monitor that sends reports directly to the doctors. It sits next to my computer, and sends out a report periodically, without me even knowing it.

Gave the welder to my son, and I sure miss it. That is the ONLY change I made to my working with tools.

The only other thing they told me is to not carry my cell phone in my shirt pocket.

Hope this helps.

[Myk Rian]

I also had a pacemaker for my A-Fib for about 6 or 7 years, which was replaced with a new one a year ago. I specifically asked both the doctor and the Boston Scientific pacemaker rep about power tools. They said the only thing I had (full WW shop) that I could not use was my wire welder.

I again asked the same questions when I got the new pacemaker a year ago, and it is even better. I now have a monitor that sends reports directly to the doctors. It sits next to my computer, and sends out a report periodically, without me even knowing it.

Gave the welder to my son, and I sure miss it. That is the ONLY change I made to my working with tools.

The only other thing they told me is to not carry my cell phone in my shirt pocket.

Hope this helps.

Pretty much the same here. My Medtronic monitor sits on the chest of drawers in the bedroom. It connects to a cell tower to send reports.
I wonder how much insurance pays for the rental of them.

[Donald G. Burns]

Well, I'm out of the hospital and the Medtronic pacemaker is on my left side since the specialist insisted it must go on the left. Somehow I don't think she's a gun fan or at least doesn't shoot - no tears for my loss, in any case. I was told by the Medtronic rep that I'll need to avoid magnets from now on. Or anything that creates large magnetic fields. Table saw is okay as long I try to stay more than about a foot to 18" from the motor. (and other motors too, I guess) Thanks for all the feedback.

[Myk Rian]

I think he may have overstated the precautions, just a bit for CYA.
If yours is the small size, like a silver dollar with 1 or 2 leads, I would give it several months for healing.
Then make a judgement call on it. My third one is the size of a flat computer mouse with 4 wires. It would be a no-go for me if I was a lefty.

If yours is a defib device, you do not want to get hit by it. I got hit by what felt like a bolt of lightening going through me. Just once, and I'm glad I sat down before I got it.

During your next visit, ask them if it is programmable to beep when you get in an unsafe condition.

[Donald G. Burns]

Yeah, mine's got the defib in it and I think it's the large size. Seems larger than a silver dollar. I was warned about getting zapped by it while driving. Doesn't sound like fun.


I think he may have overstated the precautions, just a bit for CYA.
If yours is the small size, like a silver dollar with 1 or 2 leads, I would give it several months for healing.
Then make a judgement call on it. My third one is the size of a flat computer mouse with 4 wires. It would be a no-go for me if I was a lefty.

If yours is a defib device, you do not want to get hit by it. I got hit by what felt like a bolt of lightening going through me. Just once, and I'm glad I sat down before I got it.



During your next visit, ask them if it is programmable to beep when you get in an unsafe condition.

[Myk Rian]

Yours is the mid size like my second one w/3 leads. That's the one that got me. That one may not like a gun. Your call.
If this new one of mine was lower, I'd have a nice boob.

[Rich Enders]

My Medtronic was installed one year ago due to a low heart rate. The cardio showed me quite a line-up (like 6 or more) of different pacemaker types, and said with mine I did not have to be concerned about things like cell phones, or airport screeners or the other (older) causes that were evident with pacemakers.