Medical and Dental Procedures

Many medical procedures will not affect your heart device; however, certain medical procedures can result in serious injury, damage to your heart device, or device malfunction. Before undergoing any medical procedure, it is recommended that you advise your treating doctor or dentist that you have an implanted heart device and consult with your heart doctor to evaluate any possible associated risk.

  Acceptable

If the item is used as intended and in good working condition, there is no known risk:

• Acupuncture – no electrical stimulus
• Acupuncture DC - Direct Current
• Bone Density Test (x-ray)
• Bone Density Ultrasound – on heel or hand
• Bone Growth Stimulator Direct Current
• Capsule Endoscopy
• Colonoscopy - Diagnostic only
• Dental Apex Locator (root locator)
• Dental Drills
• Dental Ultrasonic Scalers/Cleaners
• Dental Pulp Tester
• Dental X-Ray
• Diagnostic Ultrasound (Echocardiogram)
• Diagnostic x-rays (fluoroscopy)
• Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI)
• Echocardiogram
• EECP - Enhanced External Counter Pulsation Therapy
• Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
• Electroencephalography-EEG
• Electronystagmography (Audiology - ENG)
• Hearing Aid (in or behind ear)
• Heart Rate Monitor
• Laser Surgery
• Lasik Eye Surgery
• Lie Detector Test
• Lontophoresis (drug patch)
• Mammography
• Medical Helicopter
• Nuclear Stress Test
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan)
• PH Capsules
• Relief Band^®
• Sleep Apnea Machine
• Sonogram

  Acceptable with Precautions

Inform your treating physician that you have a heart device implanted and/or consult with your heart doctor/clinic.

Medical procedures that require some precautions:

• Ablation (specifically, microwave ablation and radiofrequency ablation)
• Acupuncture with electrical stimulus
• Blood bag dielectric sealing equipment
• Computerized axial tomography (CT or CAT) scan
• Electrolysis
• Electrosurgery and other procedures that use an electric probe to control bleeding, cut tissue, or remove tissue
• External defibrillation, AED, and elective cardioversion
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
• Lithotripsy
• Magnetic therapy
• Muscle Stimulators and other devices sending current into your body
• Radiotherapy (including high-energy radiation therapy)
• Stereotaxis
• Therapeutic ultrasound
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), including neuro muscular electrical stimulation (NMES)
• Transmitting loop for digital hearing aid
• Transurethral needle ablation (Medtronic TUNA^® therapy)

  Special Considerations

Maintain at least the recommended distance between the item and your heart device:

12-Inch Distance (30 cm)

• Argon Plasma Cautery
• Bone Growth Stimulator Alternating Magnetic Field
• Bone Growth Stimulator introducing AC current
• Colonoscopy-Polyp removal
• ECT (Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy)
• EMG Electromyography-Single Stimulus
• EMG Electromyography-Automated Sequence
• Hyfrecator
• Interferential Electrical Current Therapy
• MET (Microcurrent Electrical Therapy) Alpha-Stim 100^®
• Mechanical ventilation with a respiration rate monitor
• Neutron Radiation
• Periodontal surgery-See Electrosurgery if applicable
• Radiation Therapy (External X-ray, Gamma knife or Radiosurgery)
• TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)
• TURP- Prostate test (Transurethral Resection of the Prostate)
• Virtual Colonoscopy performed with CAT Scan (CT Scan)

Not Recommended

• Diathermy (high frequency, short wave, and microwave)
• MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography) *for non MR-Conditional devices
• MRI (if device not MR-Conditional. Present your heart device identification card to your physician to determine if your heart device is MR-Conditional, which may allow access to an MRI scan, see FAQ)
• TUMT (Transurethral Microwave Thermotherapeutic Device)
• Virtual Colonoscopy with MRI *for non MR-Conditional devices