What r the long term side effects to being 100% paced with a dual lead pacemaker? i have one &am paced100%@bottom, 70%@top, i am almost 30yrs old.

Low: There is an ongoing small risk of infection. There is also a small operative risk associated with changing the pacemaker and the wires that attach to your heart. Sometimes the old wires need to be removed and this carries a risk as well. There is very low risk of device malfunction. Very rarely patients can develop weaker heart muscle from chronic pacing. All combined the risks remain low.

Cardiomyopathy & AF: Long term ventricular pacing can lead to atrial fibrillation (af) or development of left ventricular (lv) systolic dysfunction. One should monitor the pacemaker to identify silent af episodes and periodically obtain an echocardiogram to monitor lv size and function. It could be helpful to see an electrophysiologist to explore programming or upgrade options of the pacemaker to prevent the above.

The Details Matter: Right ventricular apical pacing(tradtional lead position) greater than 40%is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation, ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. New pacing algorythms(programming) and alternative right ventricular lead positions that permit more natural impulse conduction, may reduce this risk.