Most Recent Messages in Surgery & Recovery

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OK - Joined the Club 17 October 2018

Hi

Aged 73 I had a stent on 11 October and a 2 lead PM [stage 2 heart block] inserted on the 17th.  Home on the 18th. 

Apart from some bruising around the incision site all seems to be OK.  There have been some issues connecting the monitor [error messages] which I hope to sort out on Monday.

I do have a question.  I haven't felt the PM do anything at all..... But I am still aware of my skipped beats.  Originally I thought the PM would preve...

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Cruise Control

Hi.  I had my post PM implant follow up appt. today.  I had a CRT-P put in October 3 with an AV node ablation. 

Everything seems to be proceeding apace.(Ha! ) I've got most of the range of motion back in my arm, tho' I still can't sleep on that side.  Incision is still a bit sore and swollen.  There have been quite a few days in the past couple of weeks when I got home from work very happy to greet a bottle of Tylenol and an ice pack.  Am trying...

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Neck & Back Pain

Good afternoon. I have a question for ya'll. It's been 5 weeks to the date since my CRT-D was implanted. Since the implantation I've developed neck and back tightness/ stifness. It is pretty uncomfortable. Something else that is weird is that when I tilt my head down, I feel a "sensation" inside my chest where my colar bones meet. I spoke with my Cardio about last Friday. He thinks that my body is still adjusting/ healing from the surgery which has caused my muscles to r...

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When can I pick up my baby???

Hey guys!

I'm 4 weeks to the day post surgery from getting my first Pacemaker. It was placed under my muscle. I have a 7 month old at home and I haven't been able to pick him up this whole time. :(  I've had mixed reviews on when I can actually pick him up. 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks, maybe longer. He is 20 lbs. Anyone have any thoughts if now is ok?

Thanks!

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New Pacemaket

Just got a pacemaker 48 hours ago. My neck is stiff. Tylenol helps. My question - how long will it be until I get used to my " new" heart rate. I have parasmoxyl afi b and sick sinus syndrome. I have a 2 lead pm. I do feel better aready. The "lead legs" are better. I'm just anxious regarding recovery. I did not expect such a long recovery time, after reading lots from your website. Should I just be patient?

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Sleeping

Had a good wound check appointment today. Mild bruising, but now the itching begins. I was told a little cream around the area will help that. 

This was a two-week checkup, and I also got to check my bp machine against the one at the doctors office and got an ekg. All okay  

I take one Tylenol in the evening to help ease any pain from sleeping on my back, but mostly to help get to sleep. I’m not used to sleeping on my back and have felt discomfo...

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Holy pain

Thanks so much all for the response. They put my icd under my muscle so I guess thats why so sore. Being a smaller person too didnt help. Will be at least 6 weeks before I can really do anything because of the bruised muscle. Reminds me of when I actually tore a muscle,but as long as its healing all will be ok. Sleeping propped up sucks big time. I have finally gotten over my nervousness of leaving my house and have gone for few walks. Again thx so much,glad I found this site.

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Incision pain

About 71/2 weeks post op, incision is healed, without redness or increased warmth, but still get a brief sharp like a needle stick pain at time, nothing rubbing and no irritation noted, just a random pain.  Has anyone else had this type of discomfort this long after surgery? 

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PM implant on Wednesday 17 October

Hi All

I'm new here and pleased to have found this site.

Brief background:  I'm 73 and during a routine [well it started that way] cardiac checkup about 6 weeks ago learned that I had significant plaque buildup for my age.  However other tests were generally fine:  echocardiogram; stress tests; and an ECG which showed some benign PVC's and a first degree heart block.

Then, 2 weeks ago, I had a "dizzy spell" getting out of a taxi. Shortly...

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AV node ablation

I've just realised my AV node ablation is approaching (22nd October), so I hope I'm going to have a phone call from the hospital soon to do pre-op briefing.

I've a fair idea of what to expect during the procedure, and know that I may (or may not) have a one-night stay in hospital -- it's being treated as a 'day-case' but I know that they keep some ablation patients (the ones that are treated later in the day) in overnight, so we'll see.

I also expect to...

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Anxiety

Hi everyone. I just joined and am thankful for this forum. I had my pm implanted a month ago, Sep 12,2018. Everything went smoothly, and I have high confidence in my surgeon. But I'm experiencing some symptoms that are hard to explain.

The primary functions I needed was pacing to keep my heart rate above a minimum of 50 bpm, and for intermittent 3rd degree heart block. I went back once and asked them to turn off the CLS setting as I felt it was unnecessary and creating issues. I def...

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Holy pain

I am a 52 year old woman and just recently got an icd implant. I cant believe how much pain I am in. Is this normal? I feel like every chest muscle is torn. Cant lift my arm at all and my back hurts. Sleeping upright is the only way to be semi confortable. Someone please tell me how long this lasts.  Bonzai

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Getting the Pacemaker Put In, General Anaesthetic??

Hi everyone, I know the normal procedure for getting your first pacemaker implanted is just local anaesthetic. I was wondering if anyone had general anaesthetic?

As a squeamish person I will most likely faint under local especially if I can feel the leads going inside of me. So really hoping that I can be unconscious, if that’s not the case, what was everyone’s surgery like?

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Pain

I just had a 2 lead Medtronic pacemaker implanted on my right side yesterday.  He put it on the right because I am left handed.  Thr Dr. also removed my biotronic monitor implant, which was on my left side.  I am having a lot of pain in the middle of my chest and it hurts when I take a deep breath. I slept in my recliner because I couldn't get comfortable. Any suggestions?

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New PM patient

Received my pm 2 days ago. Looking forward to end of recovery period. After 3 cancer surgeries over the last 30 years, heart/pulse issues are a new wrinkle in my life. Glad to have found this club. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from it. 

 

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Day 28 -- Pacemaker reburial

So, I've just got back from the hospital where they 'reburied' my pacemaker (their term) -- i.e. relocated it to a new pocket closer to the medial line than the one from which in went a-wandering 16 days ago. Some wound pain, as I would expect, and another 7 days of driving/showering restrictions, plus they're a little worried about infection from re-opening the original wound, but I was firm with the consultant (who asked 'are you really really sure)' that I wasn'...

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Short of breath

I am 4 weeks post pacemaker implant for rather sudden onset total heart block with sick sinus syndrome. I am still very short of breath when walking 100 feet or more. Is this norma

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Still getting tired after 4 weeks

Is it normal to still be feeling tired in the afternoons? It's been 4 weeks since my surgery ( for total heart block that came on pretty suddenly) . I'm usually pretty active for a 72 year old,   managing to walk about 3 miles a day most days, but in the afternoons I start feeling like I need a nap. Otherwise I think I'm doing well, but just wondering when I start feeling ike I have more energy than I did before all this started?

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Scar creams

Did most of you use a scar cream after implantation? And, for those who did, when is the best time to start using it and which one do you recommend? I am 6 weeks out from implantation and forgot to ask my EP about this. 

Thanks. 

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ablation

i am a 55 year old male who had a-fib 

i had a pacemaker/defrib put in sept 2017 

i have been back in rythym since october of 2017(with the help of amioradone )

i have a consult set up to discuss having an ablation and getting off the medicine

just wondering if anyone else was in this situation and had any advice

 

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