I''m getting a pacemaker for Christmas!

Hi,

I will be having a pacemaker put in on Dec. 23rd. I'm really nervous about it.. about the pain involved. I had cardiac ablation in Sept, and it was terribly painful. The doc said I wouldn't feel it and I wouldn't remember it. He lied. So now I want to know how painful is the surgery to put in a pacemaker?

Daffy

11 Comments

Thanks for sharing your experiences

by Daffy - 2010-12-10 01:12:03

I'm glad to know you feel better with your pacemaker. If neither one of you felt pain with your ablation, then I should have been pain free, too. I was on the table 6 hours. I will definitely tell them this time that I want to not feel a thing! Pray they will listen to me.

daffy

Been there done that

by grandpageo7 - 2010-12-10 01:12:10

I am sorry you had a time with the ablation. I felt nothing and do not even remember the recovery room. Mine lasted 7.5 hours on the table. I had it 2 weeks ago and I have been in Afib off and on for long periods of time, like 32 hours. Same with my pacemaker I never remember a thing. Tell the person that gives you the drugs you are scared and do not want to know what is going on. They should take it from there. Good luck I feel better with my pacemaker.

Don't worry!

by jenp65 - 2010-12-10 02:12:39

I had mine implanted on 12/1/10. It was not bad at all. I knoe for me I had such discomfort and many scares due to decreased HR prior to surgery that nothing mattered during the surgery but getting it done. I knew it would make a difference. Felt the difference immediately. I consider myself so lucky to have my PM and I'm sure you will also. Good Luck and Merry Christmas.

Jen

tell them

by ambers - 2010-12-10 07:12:00

be sure to tell them that you felt it during your ablation...I did too and was given better meds during the pacemaker surgery. If you can ask for the "milk of amnesia" Im not sure of the actual name of it but this is the common nickname among anesthestiologists (pretty sure I spelled that wrong)...
Thats what I did and they made sure that I didn't feel anything for the PM surgery
amber

I agree

by SaraTB - 2010-12-10 07:12:49

My ablation was painful too - I kept trying to be brave, and then gave up and through my haze managed to bleat "Hurts!!!" and they immediately upped the pain control, which solved it. I think we all try and be brave, but truly, we don't have to deal with that much pain!
They were very careful during the implant (the next day), but the procedure is very different and, although awake, I didn't feel any pain at all.

Don't be afraid to tell them that the ablation really hurt!!

PM Surgery

by donb - 2010-12-10 09:12:28

I just want to add my 18 years of PM related surgery experiences. My 1st 3 PM surgeries were uneventfull, always the same, anestheologist gives his message just minutes before starting, everybody happy. A year later my 3rd PM did not like it's home and wanted out. Again the same procedure but during the surgery the extreme pain started & I was semi conscious. I rolled my eyes up looking at the anestheologist behind me and said "You didn't do your job". No comment but he must have added to the anesthesia as I only remember the recovery room.

As mentioned by others, communication with your anestheologist before surgery is important. I had no complaint with my 4th new PM & leads implant and also the 2 followup restoration surgeries on my old left site. I have only had the pain problem once during surgeries as I've had others like appendectomy, 2 back surgeries. I have never been conscious during any and also no memory other than waking in recovery. Maybe most of my surgeons know me well enough to call me a "wimp".
donb

I had a good experience

by Edouard - 2010-12-10 11:12:13

Hi Daffy
My! Santa is being very imaginative for you this year!
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with you rablation. I hope your PM implant goes as well for you as it did for me.
I was given relaxants and pain killers, but no general anaesthesia. I was awake through the whole procedure. No pain or discomfort. I just felt noticeable pressure as the surgeon pushed the PM in to the pocket. The general atmosphere was quiet and professional throughout.
I was released 24 hours later. No major pain during the next few days. I just favoured my left arm. My wife removed my bandage the following week. I resumed swimming after 6 weeks and now, my life is basically back to normal.
All in all, I think everything went quite well. I wish you the same. Best of luck and regards
Edouard

Well given your experience

by janetinak - 2010-12-10 12:12:58

I wonder about the meds you were given & if you have some sort of resistance to those meds. I guess if it were me I would discuss with you Dr & make sure he knows (remembers) about your 1st experience. I would ask to have an anestheologist there if possible to help with pain relief. Personally my AV node ablations (2 at different times) were pain free as was my PM insertion with 1st ablation but we are all different & you need to make sure that you don't have to go thru this pain agian.

Let us know how it goes,

Janet

DONT WORRY

by pete - 2010-12-12 03:12:40

If you feel any discomfort other than some pulling and tugging ( just a sensation ) tel your doctor immediately and he will give you some more local anaesthetic, if he does not ask for it, I had toll tell him that I could feel pain when he was cutting and he gave me another jab and all was well. The ablation should not have been painful and I understand your concern after that experience. I have had an ablation and was worried about pain but it did not put me off. In the event I felt absolutely nothing. Was your ablation RF or CRYO? Mine was RF. Hopefully it will be the best christmas present you have ever had. You can send me a private message if you like. Cheers Peter

Ablation vs PM Surgery

by pacerpaul - 2010-12-12 10:12:16

AH HA! You were snooping around and found your present, didn't you? Well no surprises for you! LOL

Let me share my ablation & PM experience. During the ablation my EP doc said I needed to be only slightly sedated. That's because they need to be able to replicate the problem and too much sedation makes it difficult. So for 4.5 hours I was pretty much wide awake and like you, felt everything - including the burning during the ablations.
When I had my PM placed it was a totally different experience. They pretty much knocked me out and I woke up with a brand new PM. I was a little sore but surprised how good I felt and even had to ask the nurse if the PM was even working! LOL

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your new "present" and your family!
Paul

Thank you one and all

by Daffy - 2010-12-13 01:12:18

You've no idea how much your comments mean to me. You have all made me feel better about this upcoming procedure (they call it a procedure, I call it a surgery!). And I hope and pray I feel as much better when it is done as all of you have said you feel. God bless you all and Merry Christmas.

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