Heart Health

Ask the doctor: My defibrillator has never "fired." Should I keep it or have it taken out?

Q.

The fact that your ICD hasn't fired in eight years is great. But it doesn't mean it wouldn't deliver a shock if you kept it for another eight years or more. Unfortunately, there aren't any reliable ways to tell when, or if, an ICD will detect a dangerous heart rhythm and need to fire in the future.

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