2nd pacemaker , lead replacement

i am very nervous 5 days out from my second surgery in 3 1/2 months. My lead came out of the lower part of my heart about 3 weeks after my first surgery. the dr wanted to wait atleast 3 months for me to heal before replacing the lead. He had to replace both leads when he went in this time and i am so scared to move or do anything in fear of dislodging them again. I know everyone says its hard for them to come loose but the first time i dont remember even doing anything to cause them to come loose.I was still sore from the previous surgery and now hurting alot. Is it safe to sleep on my right side or can that cause it to move. I am sure this all sounds so silly but my anxiety is causing alot of issues. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

3 Comments

How you feel is ..how you feel

by Tattoo Man - 2012-02-02 03:02:54

,Hi I Boo, Frank, as ever has the tech know-how. I can only offer a bit of a hug and accept that with so many things medical that its the nerves/scare/anxiety (your words) that drag you down at this point. Its not my place to tell you to calm down , but I can offer you my thoughts at this time when, after all you go through to get a PM fixed in, the last thing you need is a setback like a loose lead.
The people who do this work dont want these probs any more than you do, we all want to get our work right..let PM Club know how you get on.
It will be ok

Tattoo Man, from a very nippy UK morning

Cause of lead problems

by ElectricFrank - 2012-02-02 12:02:56

My guess is that the main cause of leads coming out is having them either not well inserted or inserted in a part of the heart wall that is in poor condition. I doubt that the effect of activity has much to do with the whole thing. Sure, a poorly placed lead that is ready to come out may be just waiting for a small tug to finish the job, but it would have been a problem any way. It would be interesting to have statistics on various doctors as to problems with leads dislodging. Of course you will never find that sort of information available.

I was reasonable, but my original leads took a roughing up with my activity level, yet never have been a problem.

frank

frank

Lead replacement

by bamafan - 2012-02-16 12:02:05

I had a new pacemaker insertion April of 2011.... and had my lead come loose several days following surgery. I had lead revision surgery in June of 2011 (with a different doctor at a different hospital).... and had my lead come loose again!! I had my third lead revision in September. This time they changed the lead to a different manufacturer, and everything seems to be in place now.

I was told the third time that the initial lead was defective. It was an MRI compatible lead from Medtronics.

Italianboo...What brand of lead do you have?

You know you're wired when...

Your heart beats like a teenager in love.

Member Quotes

Your anxiety is normal. It takes some of us a little time to adjust to the new friend. As much as they love you, family and friends without a device just cannot understand the adjustment we go through. That is why this site is so valuable.