Most Recent Messages in Surgery & Recovery

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Fear of lead pulling out

Hi everyone, i am 39 years old.new on this site and my first post. I had my icd implant on the 4/7 17, after surviving cardiac arrest on the 7/4/17, 6 weeks post partum.  I am abit scared of the lead because i am doing light lifting and pulling as i have got a 5 months old baby and  a toddler, i have been diagnoose with vetricular myocardial noncompaction cardiomyopthy.  I am struggling with anxiety due to my heart problem and fear of been shock or the leads of the icd pulling...

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New wires recipient

Hi. I am 49 years old, and a 3 day old recipient of the 2 wires, St. Jude Pacemaker...Anyone know when "All this new energy" is gonna kick in? I'm exhausted...

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Pacemaker pocket revision

I just had my pacemaker pocket repaired bc I was having some inflammation and pain. They moved it from sub dermal to sub pectoral but I'm still experiencing pain 2 weeks later that is unrelated to surgery pain. Anyone notice a lot of pain after being in the car? It's more the muscle more than the pacemaker site itself

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Bandage on site

Hello I'm 5 days post operation on a 2Wire Medtronic pacemaker and I still have the initial large bandage on top of the incision it is clean and dry as I have been very careful with it but I was wondering when I am able to take that off I was told to not mess with the steri-strips for sure, that they will fall off on their own but they said nothing about the large bandage except not to get it wet. just wondering if it's good to take the large bandage off thank you for your input

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Post surgery recovery

Hello, 

 I'm 20 years old and just got my 4th pacemaker put in. They used to all be sub dermal but we just put the new one under the pectoralis muscle to prevent future pacemaker erosion or other complications. Although I've recovered 3 times before, I'm having some different symptoms this time and just want to have some opinions. It's almost been a week since surgery.

first the muscle is sore obviously because they had to move it to place the pacer under...

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Thyroid cancer

I heard that I should not have radiation if I have a ICD.  I need to have my entire thyroid removed because I have nodules that are cancerous. Has anyone had this procedure?

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Chest feels as if he getting a chest cold

Hi all!! My husband received his pacemaker last Thursday July 22. He is 56 and his cardiologist felt that a pacemaker was needed because of his low heart rate (42-30). Their fear was he would experience sudden death. No other problems with his heart. Extremely fit, heathy and a runner. They feel this was do to years of his running. 

Anyways........he came home from the hospital on Friday. Felt great. On Saturday, my husband felt as though his chest felt like he was getting a chest...

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Finally did it

My single lead PM for SSS and bradycardia, I've had for 1 1/2 years, just wasn't getting the job done.  I still had a bit of dizziness and low heart rate....again.  So last Monday I finally got a new St. Jude generator and another lead installed.  This time was a piece of cake....a little painful that night but nothing a couple of Tylenol didn't sorta kinda fix.  (It's just so hot sleeping in that sling thingy).  Anyway I feel much better. &n...

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six months post-placement

I had my pacemaker placed in January and everything seems to be fine...except!  I still get a sense of pulling at the incision site and my site itches!  I am assuming this is normal..but wanted to make sure!  Anyone else still have this six months later?

 

Diana

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Two weeks post op

and I found out that I'm allergic to the surgical glue they used to hold my incision together. I developed a red, blistery rash not only where the glue was, but it started creeping up my shoulder as well.

I went in to the device clinic on Friday to make sure the antibiotics are doing their job. Thankfully the infection is gone. But when the nurse saw the rash, she immediately said the glue needed to come off too. After peeling most of the glue off, she discovered that between the in...

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Recovery time

How long after getting the pacemaker did you (anyone) feel "ok". I have had many surgeries in the past (all abdominal: for gallbladder, cervical cancer, ovarian issues, etc) and I know it took two weeks to even have energy to stay awake and eat. I thought that was from the anesthesia and blood loss. There was no blood loss or real anesthesia this time, yet I am worn out after a little while. Not the exhaustion I felt before the PM (YAY!), but tired. Just curious what other...

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3 days Post OP, strange sensations and emotional roller coaster

I had my PM placed 3 days ago. It was done in-patient because I went into the ER with near syncope with confusion and memory lapses. I am 48-yr old and have never had any issues. They didn't initially find anything and were going to send me home when my heart "paused" for 2.8 seconds. So they kept me a second night and told me I was getting a pacemaker. The next morning I was told by the EP NP that she really didn't think I needed the PM, but she would check with the do...

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subdermal to sub pectoral placement

I am 20 years old and was born with a congenital heart block... I am getting my pacemaker battery changed out next week and they're switching it from subdermal placement to subpectoral and was just wondering if anyone has experience with this/could tell me some positives about it. I'm nervous and excited at the same time, but looking for a way to keep my spirits up.

Thanks!

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Open wound

Ive been recovering from a PM implant for about 2 weeks now but i was sleeping and wokeup and my wound was bleeding and my cut is kinda open in the middle and i can see the pacemaker barely, i think i pulled the wound apart sleeping maybe? Is this bad?

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Burning sensation in shoulder near site?

I am a 44 year old female and 48 hrs post-op - received my first PM, dual lead, to preemptively address Lev-Lenegre (progressive conduction) disease that has been progressively getting worse over the past 5 years, before I get to complete heart block and start fainting. So I'm fortunate to have it implanted only as a backup for now, so I can adjust before it becomes life-critical. The procedure was same-day outpatient, incision is diagonal slot running from left armpit up toward...

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Newbie--day 5

I want to see if what I am feeling is "normal".  Every once in a while I get this weird sensation I can feel in my heart and head.....is this the PM kicking in?  Trying to stop another AF episode?

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outpatient

If i end up getting a PM the surgery will be scheduled as outpatient. Is that normal??? I would have thought that this type of procedure would require at least a nights stay for observation.

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Please bare with the long back story but I could do with some advice and support.

I was 16 when I got my first PM. I didn't really have anything explained to me about it but I could recite My "Condition". Doctors looked confused but paramedicts knew what I was talking about. Congenital Abnormality of the AV Node resulting in complete heart block stage 3. I am now 40 and my PM has recently celibrated its 24th birthday. I always knew it would need changing but it was just this thing that was was it was. I had no concerns and no thoughts about it. I went to my a...

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One Week Post Op

Had my one week post op check up last Friday. So far, everything is staying in place and doing its job. I was surprised to learn that I am being paced an average of 2 times a day due to rate drop. I thought my SSS was far more intermittant and I would only be paced every couple of weeks.

Currently, I am set for a rate drop of 25 bpm in 1 minute or less and a low floor of 50 bpm. I may ask to have my low raised to 55 or 60 bpm just to see how that makes me feel.

I did develop a sli...

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Pacemaker taken out

I got my pacemaker and leads completely taken out Friday. The electrophysiologist that took it out said when he got in there, I had a lot of inflammation from too many ch scar tissue that wrapped around my pacemaker. The reason I had it removed is because I was having chronic pain and swelling in my arm. The surgery went great but I am in slot of pain. I know it will take a few weeks to heal. Next week he is going to put a monitor on me to see how often I have my arrhythmia. I only paced...

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My muscles are very sore but each day it gets better and my range of movement is improving.