Most Recent Messages in Surgery & Recovery

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Pain

Had my Medtronic MRI safe pm put in 5-15-18. 4 days in the hosp. for meds to be adjusted.I feel sore which I guess is normal.  1st 2  days at home seemed ok. But starting last night I am getting a stabbing pain on my left front side where the chest and abdomen meet. Really only happens when I am standing/walking. Trying to go for a walk seems impossable now. It's a pretty sharp pain, takes my breath away sometimes. Any ideas? Thanks.

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Multiple Ablations for Sustained VT (structural heart disease), Activity, Meds?

Hello everyone, I have structural heart disease from an unknown cause and source.  I have been to every top doc in Boston and continue to see the team at Brighams. I had an ICD put in 5 years ago for sustained vtach while running.  I am 43 and active.  I was seeing a doctor at the time who kept upping my meds (Sotalol) and I felt terrible for 2 long years.  I sought out a doctor, Dr. Stevenson, who said he would try to help me (this was 2.5 years ago). He performed a...

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New micra leadless PM Installed 5 days ago

Hi all. New to this site.  My Micra lead-less pm is so new there are not many posts on it yet i think.  

I had it implanted for high-grade block for which i had zero symptoms.  Its been five days and i felt better the day sfter surgery than now.  I get tired and sleep a lot.  I didnt think the surgery was that big a deal with no leads and all but maybe i was wrong?

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Rejecting Pacemaker!!

Its 16 weeks since my pacemaker was fitted and I still havn't come to terms with it.  I know it probably keeps me alive but I look upon it as an alien in my body!!  My scar has healed remarkably well but above the area still looks quite red.  I get a "pricking" sensation and pain when I sleep on it.  If I do sleep on that side, when I turn back to the right it feels that something is pulling and causing discomfort. I think if I was totally honest I feel...

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Lifting.

Ok to lift right arm ? 

I need an expert opinion. 

Not just guessing. 

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Micra

I had a dual chamber Boston scientific put in 2014. Had it taken out, leads and device last June because it collapsed my cephalic vein. They left pacemaker out and after a month of not having it, I was very symptomatic and 2 different heart monitors showed I had pauses and low heart rate. They put it back in December 2017. My arm is still swollen and thumb turns blue. My EP sent me to vascular surgeon and he cannot fix my vein because I have the pacemaker. I am miserable. My EP is wantin...

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Pain and Recovery

hello my name is Tiffany. I just got my pacemaker this morning. 

How long does this shoulder pain last?

Did anyone cough in thier sleep?

 

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Battery replacement recovery?

The cardiology nurse told me I shouldn't exercise my upper body for six weeks.  (I hate to admit what I have been doing the first week post surgery.)  Anyway, I am a passionate pickleball player and generally very active and quite bummed about this (not to mention a little worried about damage I may already have done).  I thought it would be good to increase my range of motion, but I guess not even that is indicated.  I would be interested in learning others' exper...

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Little white "thingie"

Hello All!

Another question to add to my already paranoia brain that something is wrong with this pacer. I have a little white pimple type thingie at the end of the incision. I've read that several people have this. Could it be an infection or am I overreacting? I go in for the check tomorrow.

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Aching pain

I was just wondering about others, my surgery was September 26, 2017, and I received the pacemaker. I have had no problems at all. Soreness at the beginning, and just being careful about raising arm and that sort of stuff. But it's been almost 8 months now, and recently an aching pain has begun around the site and on site, like nerve pain or possibly arthritis. I just wondered if it is skelton pain or something might be wrong with site. 

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Pimps on left chest after 4 days of surgery

Hello everyone!

I am almost fifth day after pacemaker change. However, I have noticed under my scar, near chest small minor pimps. I wonder what can it be? Is it allergy from iodine? Marcs from plaster because it was big one first day? 

Or it can be infection?

i am still in hospital but I am not sure if it is at all worth asking. I will have tomorrow checking on me from my proffessor so i am going to ask him. I just wonder right now what it possibly can be. 

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Puckered scar

Has anyone else had a slightly puckered incision, like when you sew a stitch a little too tight ?  The incision is healing well otherwise, but I'm wondering if that puckering will go away.  I have a sneaking suspicion my surgeon was in training, as my hospital is attached to a university.  Maybe his skills at stitching weren't quite perfect.

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Shoulder exercises while recovering

OK, so maybe I'm not searching effectively, but I am failing to find this info. I'm 3 whole days post-implantation (5-2-2018), and while I have not immobilized my left arm, I sure don't want to get a frozen shoulder. Anyone have some good light exercises to suggest, or a nice link to some? Looking forward to really feeling better (certainly not there just yet!), and I want to keep ahead of the game! Thanks in advance, everyone here is very helpful!

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Extraction of single lead and pacemaker and replace with pacemaker and 2 leads

I am having a procedure next Tuesday to extract a cracked lead and pacemaker. I've had it since 2012. The former cardiologist only put one lead in due to irregular heartbeat. Due to the cracked lead it must come out. My new cardiologist (EP) stated I should had 2 leads put in last time so this time when he removes the old pacemaker and 1 lead, he will be placing 2 leads with the pacemaker.

I have watched a few videos of extraction and understand what needs to take place. My concern...

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Post op activities using right arm

Are there any restrictions using the opposite arm post op. I.e  hoovering, carrying etc 

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Is it normal to still be so tired after pacemaker surgery?

Hi. I'm still so new at this, surgery was 5 days ago and stayed in the hospital a few extra days from vertigo issue. My usual heart rate was in the 30s to rarely low 40s for months maybe years and now I'm set at no lower than 60. My husband and friends say I should have more energy and I think they are disappointed.  But I'm just not there. I was in bed flat for the 1st day and night due to EP study before HiS pacemaker placement and then wave of vertigo has kept me in b...

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Purple arm

Got the second pacer Feb 6th of this year, right side now. I've had some struggles with PVCs, but all else went well this time. Fast forward to March 23rd and all the sudden my arm is getting engorged with blood when I'm active and draining poorly. I can massage the blood down, and that helps most of the time. Other times I can be fairly active and nothing out of the norm comes about. Doc ordered a venogram tomorrow to have a look. Anyone share a similar experience?

Just started...

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second pacemaker placement and heart operation

Hi all..

I'm Yaya :) I've just spent one month in hospital because of my pacemaker.

 

So 9 months after I got my first my pacemaker, it started to get infected so it needs to be moved.

Not only that, the doctor discovered there's a leak in the left valve of the heart. So I need to have a heart operation.

 

 

Now I'm back at home and hopefully there's nothing goes wrong again with the pacemaker :)

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New Pacemaker

I am 68 years old and  just had a pacemaker (Boston Scientific dual chamber) implanted April 23. In recovery at the hospital, I experienced VTAC a few times and was kept overnight for observation.  They administered a beta blocker and released me the next day with a prescription of beta blocker. I have my first follow up with surgeon on this week.  I would appreciate any info on what I need to ask doctor about VTAC on this upcoming visit.  Will this VTAC issue effect...

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Just had HIS pacemaker installed yesterday

Just had Medtronic pacemaker HIS bundle installed yesterday. I'm still in hospital mainly because I also have Menieres Disease which causes episodes of severe vertigo and the surgery/anesthesia trigged a Brett good episode that left me bedridden,

Otherwise I think I'm good. My daily heart rate tends to be in mid 30s to low 40s and sleeping rate as low as the 20s. I'm 55 yrs old with strong family history of cardio problems.

The last several weeks have experience great...

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I consider my device to be so reliable, that I never think about a failure.