When Can I Start Driving Again After I Get My Defibrillator?
Question: When can I start driving again after I get my defibrillator?
Answer :The question of driving and defibrillators is very much dependent on why the defibrillator was implanted. In a majority of patients in 2008, defibrillators are implanted for what we call primary prevention. That is, patients who are known to be at risk for sudden death but who have never had a life-threatening arrhythmia. And in those patients we restrict driving only for a week or two after the implantation of the device and then allow them to resume normal activities, including driving.
In patients in whom defibrillators are implanted because of the occurrence of a life-threatening arrhythmia, driving is typically restricted for a period of six months and if the individual does not experience a recurrence of their arrhythmia during that six month period, they're generally allowed to resume driving.
