Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Soyin Milka · 06-11-2003, 12:55 PM

Hi,

Last sunday I was watching the sky at a park near a couple of guys debating if recycling was a waste of time or not. Then I saw this cloud that look like a heart, and one thought led to another and, blah, blah, blah, I ended up wondering if pace-makers could be recycled...

We can already donate organs. If a person with a pace-maker dies from something else than a pace-maker malfunction, could this also be reused by another person? I guess it would require sterilisation and some verifications. But if it's still good, could we send used pace-makers to less fortunate places where people would be happy to have them?

Thanks,

Soyin

06-11-2003, 01:53 PM

I had heard that pacemakers were recycled but I wasn't sure if they are reused in humans.

I did a google search and apparently they can be recycled but they usually aren't reused in humans. It's more likely that they will get reused by veterinarians.

Gurdur · 06-11-2003, 02:34 PM

Pacemakers are not usually recycled, but often they are removed from corpses prior to cremation, IIRC, in order to spare possible big bangs. I might have that wrong; eventually I'll check.

I read once of a widow who included a couple of full spray-cans along with her hsuband in the coffin, and the result was the crematorium door buckled from the force of the explosion.

BTW, anyone else see that recent news item about an undertaker guy arrested for nicking things from the corpses, including all pregnancy control coils ?

Calzaer · 06-11-2003, 04:59 PM

Hey, it's not like they need it anymore! Should be one of the perks of being an undertaker, if you ask me. Disgusting, thankless job... AND you don't get to keep any of the valuable stuff that's just gonna be buried underground forever.

echidna · 06-11-2003, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Soyin Milka
But if it's still good, could we send used pace-makers to less fortunate places where people would be happy to have them?

As paperweights ? The surgery required to implant & maintain pace-makers is generally beyond most "less fortunate" countries where routine medicine more resembles triage.

I'd say that for less fortunate countries to be allocating resources towards pace-makers is wasteful. The hardware saving is secondary to the implanting and maintenance costs. Reminds me of so many NGO's who are busily installing solar panels in Third World villages, all very warm & fuzzy (and damn expensive) for the first couple of years until it breaks down.

Soyin Milka · 06-11-2003, 06:55 PM

Pacemakers can be and are sometimes recycled!!

There are organisations recycling pacemakers, like "Heart too Heart" and "Second life". They are mentionned on many web sites, like this one:

http://www.funerals.org/personal/recycle.htm

A quote:
"In a truly "catholic" endeavor, Bill Daem uses a Jewish doctor in New York to carry pacemakers to Israel where an Arab doctor donates his services to anyone in need. Bill is now working through doctors in various church ministries to get pacemakers to Sweden, Canada, Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa."

The FDA doesn't allow the use of second hand pacemakers apparently. But anyway, I got my answer. They can be recycled. Thanks for all the replies!

Soyin

AJ the greek · 06-11-2003, 09:09 PM

If these are recycled, it is likely more than you think.

My own pacemaker is only made to last 10 years, actually the batteries are only made to last that long.

I have been told that the procedure to get a new battery is to get an entirely new pacemaker each time, as the pacer is a sealed unit that cannot be opened and resealed easily enough and quickly enough.

So anyway, at age 30 now, I will use one each decade, at around 10,000 dollars each, imagine all of the used ones lying around. What a waste if not used for something.

ps418 · 06-12-2003, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gurdur
Pacemakers are not usually recycled, but often they are removed from corpses prior to cremation, IIRC, in order to spare possible big bangs. I might have that wrong; eventually I'll check.

No, you are right! This in fact happened to a morbidly obese gentlemen here in KY.

Gale, C., 2002. Pacemaker Explosions in Crematoria: Problems and Possible Solutions. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 95, 353-355.

Patrick

Gurdur · 06-12-2003, 11:19 AM

Patrick,

I am forever in your debt.

It is so nice to be told one has it right when one is operating off half-baked memory, and one's reference books are packed away with 3,800 others up in the attic while the house is renovated.

In return, I can regale you with the true story of the man in Indonesia who used the corpse of his mother as a handy shelf for video tapes.
Quite true, quite legal and not unusual where he lived.

Again, thank-you.

06-11-2003, 12:55 PM	#1
Soyin Milka Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Absurdistan Posts: 299	Recycling pace-makers Hi, Last sunday I was watching the sky at a park near a couple of guys debating if recycling was a waste of time or not. Then I saw this cloud that look like a heart, and one thought led to another and, blah, blah, blah, I ended up wondering if pace-makers could be recycled... We can already donate organs. If a person with a pace-maker dies from something else than a pace-maker malfunction, could this also be reused by another person? I guess it would require sterilisation and some verifications. But if it's still good, could we send used pace-makers to less fortunate places where people would be happy to have them? Thanks, Soyin

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06-11-2003, 01:53 PM	#2
HeatherD Guest Posts: n/a	I had heard that pacemakers were recycled but I wasn't sure if they are reused in humans. I did a google search and apparently they can be recycled but they usually aren't reused in humans. It's more likely that they will get reused by veterinarians.

06-11-2003, 02:34 PM	#3
Gurdur Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Buggered if I know Posts: 12,410	Pacemakers are not usually recycled, but often they are removed from corpses prior to cremation, IIRC, in order to spare possible big bangs. I might have that wrong; eventually I'll check. I read once of a widow who included a couple of full spray-cans along with her hsuband in the coffin, and the result was the crematorium door buckled from the force of the explosion. BTW, anyone else see that recent news item about an undertaker guy arrested for nicking things from the corpses, including all pregnancy control coils ?

06-11-2003, 04:59 PM	#4
Calzaer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,762	Hey, it's not like they need it anymore! Should be one of the perks of being an undertaker, if you ask me. Disgusting, thankless job... AND you don't get to keep any of the valuable stuff that's just gonna be buried underground forever.

06-11-2003, 06:55 PM	#6
Soyin Milka Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Absurdistan Posts: 299	Pacemakers can be and are sometimes recycled!! There are organisations recycling pacemakers, like "Heart too Heart" and "Second life". They are mentionned on many web sites, like this one: http://www.funerals.org/personal/recycle.htm A quote: "In a truly "catholic" endeavor, Bill Daem uses a Jewish doctor in New York to carry pacemakers to Israel where an Arab doctor donates his services to anyone in need. Bill is now working through doctors in various church ministries to get pacemakers to Sweden, Canada, Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa." The FDA doesn't allow the use of second hand pacemakers apparently. But anyway, I got my answer. They can be recycled. Thanks for all the replies! Soyin

06-11-2003, 09:09 PM	#7
AJ the greek Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: out there Posts: 140	If these are recycled, it is likely more than you think. My own pacemaker is only made to last 10 years, actually the batteries are only made to last that long. I have been told that the procedure to get a new battery is to get an entirely new pacemaker each time, as the pacer is a sealed unit that cannot be opened and resealed easily enough and quickly enough. So anyway, at age 30 now, I will use one each decade, at around 10,000 dollars each, imagine all of the used ones lying around. What a waste if not used for something.

06-12-2003, 11:19 AM	#9
Gurdur Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Buggered if I know Posts: 12,410	Patrick, I am forever in your debt. It is so nice to be told one has it right when one is operating off half-baked memory, and one's reference books are packed away with 3,800 others up in the attic while the house is renovated. In return, I can regale you with the true story of the man in Indonesia who used the corpse of his mother as a handy shelf for video tapes. Quite true, quite legal and not unusual where he lived. Again, thank-you.

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