Welding with a heart pacemaker

[37 chief]

My heart doctor told me I may need a heart pacemaker. I read arc welding with a pacemaker isn't advisable. Anyone here have a pacemaker. Do you arc weld with it? How about mig welding. Stan

 

[GChief]

I have not dug deeply into it, but 2 of our welders get pacemakers and they became mechanics and stopped welding. The company thought it was a big enough issue to sideline 2 nuclear trained welders.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

My heart doctor told me I may need a heart pacemaker. I read arc welding with a pacemaker isn't advisable. Anyone here have a pacemaker. Do you arc weld with it? How about mig welding. Stan

Why would you ask that important question here? My best friends son is a Medtronic rep and RN and since I welded a lot in the past and may get a pacemaker in the future I was interested.

The right asnswer is to ask your cardiologist! There are some devices that are OK, some that are known to not be OK and some that are sketchy. Have the conversaation with your cardiologist while there is time to shop for a manufacturer!

 

[Tony in SD]

Pacemakers can be shut off by placing a magnet over a pacemaker/defibrillator. This is a little known procedure that EMTs will use if a person dies with a pacemaker/defibrillator. The EMT will place a magnet over the pacemaker/defibrillator of a deceased person so that it does not keep shocking the deceased, thinking it will revive the dead body. With that in mind, welders, especially DC welders, will emit strong magnetic fields capable of shutting down a pacemaker/defibrillator. I would not weld or be around any strong electromagnetic fields if I had a pacemaker/defibrillator!

But as others have said, don't ask us, ask your Doctor and do what he says.

 

[Steve in VA]

Why would you ask that important question here? My best friends son is a Medtronic rep and RN and since I welded a lot in the past and may get a pacemaker in the future I was interested.

The right asnswer is to ask your cardiologist! There are some devices that are OK, some that are known to not be OK and some that are sketchy. Have the conversaation with your cardiologist while there is time to shop for a manufacturer!

You are so right. I use a CGM and recently had an MRI. The technician confirmed that my brand was fine but others were not. Again, you offered the best guidance.

 

[JIM MN]

Yes, talk with your doctor. Certain pacemakers; no electric welding!

 

[scootergmc]

My old man friend with his 2nd pacemaker gets conflicting information between his pacemaker people and his cardiologist. I think he's had one for 35 years or something like that. He pretty much disregards whatever they've told him when it comes to the don'ts. He'll probably live forever. Or die tomorrow

 

[Metal Man]

Chief on Dec 21st last year I got a pacemaker. The day prior to the surgery a cardiologist told me I wouldn't be welding
or using a air hammer in the future. The put a heart monitor on me for a week 5 days into it I was in the hospital for surgery.
At a follow up appointment I was told that the monitor registered my heart stopped for 10 seconds twice. Listen to your doctor.
I didn't now how bad I was really feeling until after the surgery believe me I'm feeling a whole lot better. Best Christmas present
I ever received.

 

[NoDakInMN]

Contrary to the advice of some, when I got may pacemaker a couple of years ago, I was told by various medical professionals that (1) I couldn't weld, (2) I could weld and (3) I could weld as long as I didn't drape the welding leads over my left shoulder, the left being the side that the pacemaker is on. I was also told i could not use a gas-powered chain saw or other gas-powered small equipment. Being somewhat in a state of confusion regarding this, when I had my follow up in the cardiac lab, I asked them about it and they wouldn't commit to anything definite either. But what they did say was that magnetism is the concern, and that I was kind of on my own as far as figuring it out because there are no real definite guidelines. So, then I asked, how would I know if it was causing an issue, would I just fall over and die? No, they said, an alarm will go off. An alarm? Yes, the pacemaker has an alarm and they triggered it so I could hear it. It is loud and sounds like a French police siren.

So, to sum up, I've used both my wire feed weld and arc welder with no ill effects, but I do try to keep the arc welding leads on the opposite side from my pacemaker, and I have never put the leads on my shoulder. I've also run my gas-powered chainsaws, and other small gas-powered equipment also with no ill effects. Turns out that the thing they were concerned about is the magneto ignition, good thing they didn't know about my John Deere collection, or someone probably would have told me I had to sell them off too. Maybe a full-time job welding wouldn't be advisable, but I've had zero issues doing the occasional welding.

Oh, and my situation was pretty severe. Prior to getting the pacemaker I couldn't walk 30' without wanting too black out, there is more to the story but eventually I was put on a heart monitor and in the two weeks I had it on, my heart stopped and started 12,600 times. Probably more because that was the limit the monitor could record. So, it's not as if I can weld because I only have a minor condition.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Why would you ask that important question here?

With the range of opinions available on a tractor site, someone's liable to suggest dripping candle wax on it.

 

[Duner Wi]

With the range of opinions available on a tractor site, someone's liable to suggest dripping candle wax on it.

Best I can tell is one person understood the question and answered the question. Lots of decent advice to a different question. I don't have a pacemaker.

 

[37 chief]

Why would you ask that important question here? My best friends son is a Medtronic rep and RN and since I welded a lot in the past and may get a pacemaker in the future I was interested.

The right asnswer is to ask your cardiologist! There are some devices that are OK, some that are known to not be OK and some that are sketchy. Have the conversaation with your cardiologist while there is time to shop for a manufacturer!

I was just in to see my cardiologist yesterday. I didn't even think to ask if welding with a pacemaker, was harmful . I thought I would mention it here before, I talked to my doctor on my next appointment, to see if anyone here has one. Stan

 

[Butch(OH)]

With the range of opinions available on a tractor site, someone's liable to suggest dripping candle wax on it.

I was thinking more inf the lines of soaking it in ATF

 

[jhwis]

I have not dug deeply into it, but 2 of our welders get pacemakers and they became mechanics and stopped welding. The company thought it was a big enough issue to sideline 2 nuclear trained welders.

GChief, I gotta ask....how did you feel about the movie The Hunt for Red October? I love that flick.

 

[Fred Werring]

I was thinking more inf the lines of soaking it in ATF

Don't forget to mix in acetone

 

[GChief]

GChief, I gotta ask....how did you feel about the movie The Hunt for Red October? I love that flick.

I was on my first Destroyer when the book came out, I was an STG2 at the time, Jonesy, in the book/movie was an STS2. Being Sonar Techs the book went through our division in about 2 weeks.

The book was more accurate than the movie. Tried showing it to the SO as she has never seen it, IMO it hasn't stood the test now time well.

 

[jhwis]

I was on my first Destroyer when the book came out, I was an STG2 at the time, Jonesy, in the book/movie was an STS2. Being Sonar Techs the book went through our division in about 2 weeks.

The book was more accurate than the movie. Tried showing it to the SO as she has never seen it, IMO it hasn't stood the test now time well.

Makes sense. I imagine you have a few good stories you can't share. I'll have to read the book. Admittedly, I'm not a book guy.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I was thinking more inf the lines of soaking it in ATF

NAH, Kroil is better.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I just got one last April. They told me not to weld. I've been looking for a MIG setup but I guess that's out now. My unit says no to all that stuff but I've run lawn mowers and chainsaws since and I stand right in front of the microwave when I heat up my lunch. It got me to wondering though. How about a jacket or leathers with a Faraday cage built in and grounded.

 

[showcrop]

I have had one for six years. They told me no more welding, but subsequently told me that I could MIG weld provided I kept the arc two feet from the pacemaker. My pacemaker is on the right side, and I am left handed so It is doable. Of course the problem is that being so far away it is hard to keep track of the puddle so my work is not very pretty. There was a project that I was thinking seriously of buying, but had to forget about. Stick welding is pretty much the same deal but they told me to keep the amps under 95.