A common defibrillator battery change at surgery center facility in U.S. includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Cardiologist visit provider fee
First time visit
Standard
|
1 |
$133 |
Provider fee to insert defibrillator pulse generator
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$478 |
Provider fee to remove defibrillator pulse generator
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$280 |
Facility |
Surgery center fee to insert defibrillator pulse generator
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$24,679 |
Surgery center fee to remove defibrillator pulse generator
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$2,185 |
Prescriptions |
HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN
Standard
Standard
|
30 |
$16 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 4
Standard
|
1 |
$269 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
216 |
$432 |
Total average cash price |
|
A common defibrillator battery change at outpatient hospital facility in U.S. includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Cardiologist visit provider fee
First time visit
Standard
|
1 |
$133 |
Provider fee to insert defibrillator pulse generator
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$478 |
Provider fee to remove defibrillator pulse generator
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$280 |
Facility |
Outpatient Hospital fee to insert defibrillator pulse generator
level 1
Standard
|
1 |
$28,392 |
Outpatient Hospital fee to remove defibrillator pulse generator
level 1
Standard
|
1 |
$4,301 |
Prescriptions |
HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN
Standard
Standard
|
30 |
$16 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 4
Standard
|
1 |
$269 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
216 |
$432 |
Total average cash price |
|
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are heart devices surgically implanted under the skin to stop dangerous arrhythmias and slow down heart rates that are too fast.
The device has a set of wires called leads and a small metal box called the pulse generator. This box contains an electrical circuit and a battery to run the defibrillator. Batteries in ICDs need regular replacing to keep the device functioning at all times.
The battery in your defibrillator must be changed by a surgeon in an outpatient procedure. You’ll be given medicine to relax you and may be placed under anesthesia. Your surgeon will numb the area of your skin near your pulse generator.
They replace the battery by cutting into your skin and removing the old generator before inserting a new one in the same spot. Your doctor will check to ensure the new device is properly attached to the leads and is working correctly before closing the incision.
Current ICDs use lithium ion batteries in their pulse generators. Lithium ion batteries have long lifespans that last up to ten years. Though, on average, the batteries last seven to eight years in most patients.
Patients will need to have the battery replaced in their ICD near the end of the battery’s life. Depending on how often the device is activated, you may need it replaced anywhere from five to fifteen years. Your doctor will monitor the battery’s lifespan and make sure the ICD is functioning correctly.
Occasionally patients need their ICD replaced before the end of the battery’s lifespan. This happens if the generator starts malfunctioning or there’s a serious infection at the site of your ICD.
Yes, if the battery inside the ICD dies, your device will no longer work. The battery powers the pulse generator, and without power, your device cannot send shocks to pace your heart rate or shock your heart to stop dangerous rhythms.
The ICD can also stop working if your pulse generator isn’t working correctly. This is why a doctor needs to monitor how your device is functioning. Frequent monitoring allows your physician to catch any problems with your pulse generator before they affect your health.
Your device will send out an Elective Replacement Indicator (ERI) alert three months before the battery in your ICD runs out. If your ICD fails to send the ERI alert or you don’t replace the battery before it’s fully depleted, you face serious and sometimes life-threatening consequences.
Once the battery dies, your ICD will not deliver shocks to your heart and can no longer support your heart condition. Patients have reported fainting and feeling dizzy when their ICD devices stop working due to battery failure. Two patients died when they no longer received shocks and pacing after their ICD battery prematurely died.
Your doctor will monitor your ICD at regularly scheduled appointments. They’ll check to make sure the device is functioning correctly and keep track of the battery life. Your doctor determines how often your device needs monitoring.
After the device is first implanted, your doctor may want to check your ICD every three months. If your ICD is functioning well, additional check-ups might take place every six months. When your device starts showing signs of needing battery replacement, your doctor may have you come in at shorter intervals for closer monitoring.
About the defibrillator battery change Average Cash Prices
This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.
Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical
facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures
performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital,
but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support
services that a hospital provides.
Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital,
but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and
procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are
often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient
hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to
the hospital system.
