A common defibrillator insertion or replacement at surgery center facility in California includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Cardiac surgeon visit provider fee
Returning visit
Standard
|
1 |
$116 |
Provider fee for insertion or replacement of defibrillator and its leads
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$1,393 |
Facility |
Surgery center fee for insertion or replacement of defibrillator and its leads
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$38,722 |
Equipment |
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
Single chamber
Standard
|
1 |
$10,218 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 4
Standard
|
1 |
$312 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
239 |
$555 |
Total average cash price |
|
A common defibrillator insertion or replacement at outpatient hospital facility in California includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Cardiac surgeon visit provider fee
Returning visit
Standard
|
1 |
$116 |
Provider fee for insertion or replacement of defibrillator and its leads
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$1,393 |
Facility |
Outpatient Hospital fee for insertion or replacement of defibrillator and its leads
level 2
Standard
|
1 |
$46,815 |
Equipment |
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
Single chamber
Standard
|
1 |
$10,218 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 4
Standard
|
1 |
$312 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
239 |
$555 |
Total average cash price |
|
An implanted cardioverter defibrillator, commonly abbreviated (ICD), is a device that shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm if certain abnormal rhythms are detected. This is the same process that is seen in many TV shows and movies where paddles or pads are attached to the chest and a shock is given to restore a normal heartbeat.
Implanted defibrillators do not require a bulky external box, medical staff, and a dead or dying patient to administer a shock. These devices are inside the body and connected to wires that lead directly to the heart. This allows them to detect an abnormal heart rhythm almost instantly. They use a much lower amount of electricity since the shock does not need to travel through the skin, muscle, bone, and other organs.
These devices are placed in patients who are at high risk of having their heart stop beating or entering an abnormal rhythm that could lead to death. The most common conditions are:
- Severe heart failure
- Recent heart attacks that have lead to severe heart damage
- Rare genetic diseases (Brugada syndrome, long QT, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
- Previous episodes of sudden cardiac death (the heart stopping for no clear reason)
- Previous episodes of certain high-risk abnormal heart rhythms
A modern implanted defibrillator is almost identical to a pacemaker. These devices consist of two parts: electrodes and a pulse generator.
The electrodes are the part that sits within the heart, they sense any abnormal heart rhythms and deliver an electric shock if an abnormal rhythm is detected. These electrodes are threaded through the veins that lead to the heart and into the right side of the heart that those veins drain into. This is known as “transvenous” placement.
At the same time the electrodes are being placed, the pulse generator will be placed beneath the skin of the chest. This is typically done in the left chest as the entry point for the electrode is in one of the veins near the upper part of the left chest. This pulse generator is a small box that contains the battery and circuitry that makes the defibrillator work.
Defibrillator implantation is a relatively routine surgery. The process for doing so is nearly identical to the placement of a pacemaker which many surgeons perform dozens of times a year.
While any surgery has risks, defibrillator implant surgery is not particularly risky. Often the most dangerous thing about the procedure is that it is being performed on a patient with a potentially dangerous heart condition that will need to be closely monitored during surgery.
It takes around 2-3 hours to place the ICD lead(s) and pulse generator. The procedure requires general anesthesia due to its length and the need to test the device, which would be painful without general anesthesia.
Patients are often able to leave the hospital 2-3 days after the device is placed. Recovery is focused on keeping the incision over the left chest clean, changing bandages, and avoiding submerging the area in water. Lifting more than 5 lbs with either arm is also not recommended for multiple weeks following the surgery. It will take 4-6 weeks to return to your previous level of activity based on your age and other medical conditions.
The lifespan of a patient is not limited by the presence of the defibrillator. Many younger patients that get defibrillators for genetic conditions live normal lifespans. Older individuals with serious heart conditions that lead to defibrillator placement may have a shortened lifespan due to their heart condition but not die to the defibrillator itself.
The batteries of the defibrillator will be the first to wear out. They last 5-15 years, depending upon the settings, how many shocks are delivered, and if the defibrillator has any additional functions such as acting as a pacemaker
Replacing the electrodes may be required in rare situations but this is very uncommon. Many patients will go decades without having to have the electrodes replaced or altered.
About the defibrillator insertion or replacement 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.
