Dr Oliver Segal

The CareLink system automatically sends data from your Reveal LINQ II™device to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, or a bedside relay monitor if you don't have a phone. It then transmits data to the CareLink™ portal on a regular basis. The system automatically detects if new data is available.

We use Medtronic’s FocusOn™ monitoring and triaging service for LINQ II devices, which enables better outcomes and allows faster clinical decisions. The Harley Street Clinic Cardiac Physiology team and Dr Segal review FocusOn™ reports daily through a secure website and alert you if there are any problems.

If you feel palpitations or have just passed out, you can record these in the symptom journal of the MyCareLink Heart™ app on your mobile phone. Any significant abnormalities are automatically detected by the system, which uses AI to ensure the signals are accurate. The FocusOn™ service then provides red, yellow or green alerts depending on how serious the problem is. Red events are alerted the same day by phone and email.

The Reveal LINQ II™ battery now lasts ~4.5 years.

All surgical procedures carry some risk. As an implantable cardiac monitor is inserted just beneath the skin, there is a small amount of bruising and bleeding and there is a very small risk of infection (less than 1%), but Dr Segal has never encountered a complication with LINQ devices since they were developed in 2014.

Typically, after one or more heart recordings are made while you’re experiencing symptoms, Dr Segal can determine if your symptoms are related to an abnormal heart rhythm. The device can then be removed at that time with a quick and simple procedure. The battery of the Reveal LINQ™ II device lasts approximately 4.5 years, so prolonged periods of monitoring can be performed if needed. If the Reveal LINQ II™ device is being used to look for atrial fibrillation after an unexplained stroke, the device will usually not be removed before the battery runs out, or the first episode of AF is detected.

You can continue your normal day-to-day life with a Reveal LINQ II™ device. If you experience a fainting spell, the heart monitor will record it. Dr Segal can download heart rhythm recordings from your monitor to help determine whether you fainted due to an abnormal heart rhythm and to develop a treatment plan.

After implantation

In general, people can perform all their normal activities. It is probably best you avoid strenuous activity for at least a week afterwards. You can swim, bathe and exercise without fear of harming the monitor. You may be asked to limit some of your activities if you’ve had fainting spells.

Things to avoid

Electromagnetic fields can potentially interact with the Reveal LINQ II™ device. However, these fields are usually weak in most daily surroundings and will not affect the device. Strong electromagnetic energy fields may temporarily affect data collection.

Electromagnetic compatibility

Everything that uses electricity produces an electromagnetic energy field. The way in which these energy fields interact with your cardiac monitor is called electromagnetic compatibility. Below are some simple guidelines for avoiding data collection problems related to electrical interference in a few common situations.

Security screening systems

It’s unlikely that screening devices at airports or courts will interfere with your device data collection, but they may detect the metal components and set off an alarm. It may be necessary to present your device ID card to obtain clearance. You may wish to be searched with a wand instead of going through a metal detector, but the new body scanners are completely safe.

Mobile phones and other wireless communication devices

Mobile phones and other electronic devices may temporarily interact with the Reveal LINQ II™ device if they’re in very close proximity, and they can also affect data collection.

You can minimise your interaction with devices by:

• Maintaining a distance of at least 6 inches between the equipment and the Reveal LINQ II™ implant site
• Holding your mobile phone to the ear on the opposite side of your implant site when making a call
• Not carrying the phone or other transmitting device in a pocket on the same side as your Reveal LINQ II™ device site or in a shoulder bag near your cardiac monitor – some phones emit signals even when they are not in use

Many retail stores and libraries are equipped with electronic surveillance gates to prevent theft. To reduce the chances of these systems affecting your device’s data collection, you should avoid prolonged exposure while passing through the gates. Simply walk through these systems at a normal pace.

Home environment

Your Reveal LINQ II™ device is not affected by most household electrical equipment such as household appliances, microwave ovens, electrical items for personal care and cleaning, power tools and home electronics. If you use an induction cook top, you should keep your device at least 30cm away from the heating zone when the induction cooktop is on. Conventional heating elements, such as electric hobs, do not affect your insertable cardiac monitor’s data collection.

Industrial equipment

Working with or near certain industrial equipment such as arc welding tools, power plants, transmission lines, and other sources of high electrical current can interfere with the normal data collection of your device. Please let Dr Segal know if you are likely to be exposed to any of these potential sources of strong electromagnetic radiation.

Medical and dental procedures

Having a Reveal LINQ II™ device doesn’t stop you from undergoing medical and dental procedures, but you should always tell your medical and dental practitioners that you have an implantable heart monitor. With proper precautions, most procedures are unlikely to interfere with its function. However, some medical procedures may temporarily affect the ability of the device to collect data.

Some procedures require your doctor to retrieve information from your cardiac monitor prior to the procedure. These may include:

• Radiotherapy
• Electrocautery or diathermy
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans

Reveal devices have been demonstrated to pose no known hazards in a medical MRI environment. For Reveal LINQ II™ devices, there is no MRI waiting period after the insertion procedure. For the older Reveal XT/DX devices, patients must wait 6 weeks after insertion before an MRI to allow sufficient time for wound healing. It is very important you let MRI clinic staff know you have a Reveal device and present your device ID card to them.

For further information please also visit Medtronic’s MyCareLink™ website: https://www.medtronic.com/en-gb/l/patients/treatments-therapies/remote-monitoring.html