Recovery

I'm a fit 56 year old male and had my PM implant 7 days ago after diagnosis of slow heart rate that didn't respond to exercise. How long before I can lift my elbow above my shoulder? How long before I can get back to running, I've run several marathons before including the 90k Comrades 4 times?

5 Comments

impressed!

by Catteacher - 2011-09-30 06:09:31

I can't answer the questions about running, wow, good job. But my dr wanted me to wait 2 wks before lifting my arm up. Isn't it hard! So instinctive to want to use it! Putting mine in a sling during the day was a good reminder not to use it. Good luck, speedy recovery!

ask your dr

by Tracey_E - 2011-09-30 06:09:31

Drs vary on how long they want us to baby the arm, some don't mention it at all, some say as long as 3 months. The average is 6 weeks. As for running, ask your dr. If your problem is fixed by the pm and you have no other issues, you can probably get back to it as soon as you feel up to it. I started walking the day after I got out of the hospital and worked back up to my regular workout by the time the 6 weeks was up. It took a few weeks before I felt up to anything with impact, it made the area around the pm sore.

Actually, the sling is not such a good idea during the day. If you don't use the arm your shoulder can get frozen. Use it normally, just don't lift heavy weights or raise it above shoulder level.

Recovery

by IAN MC - 2011-09-30 10:09:21

Hi Don
Like you, I am a keen runner and I ran 3 miles 3 weeks after the PM. Mine was fitted 4 1/2 weeks ago .
I have had my first check-up this morning and everything is fine ..the biggest worry is if you displace the wires in the heart but this is quite rare.

My post PM schedule was
i) I did nothing for the first week apart from a brisk 4 mile walk on day 5
ii) I wasn't allowed to drive for 1 week. On day 8 I drove 700 miles from the UK to SW France
iii) Weeks 2 and 3 , I played about 1/2 hr tennis per day which involved a fair bit of running ( only under-arm serving though) .I did a couple of short runs.
iv) Week 4 , I cycled several times and included hill work. Afer this morning's check-up ie 31 days after PM I have been told that I can raise my right arm, play golf and do anything I want !

THE CHAMPAGNE DIDN'T HALF TASTE GOOD!

We are all different but I think a PM should be regarded very positively as it allows a normal life but do go easy on the arm-lifting till you've had your 1st check-up !

Recovery

by Don Semple - 2011-09-30 11:09:54

Am I correct in assuming that nursing my right arm is to facilitate healing of the implant site? What sort of action would endanger the positioning of the leads? I'm quite happy to follow dr's orders as I'm concerned about the 3rd lead becoming displaced, from what I was told the placement was spot on and key to the best performance for my condition.

Arm restrictions

by ElectricFrank - 2011-10-01 12:10:11

Don,
The restriction is to keep from pulling the pacemaker leads loose from the heart wall. The leads are threaded down a vein from the pacer into the heart where they are attached to the heart wall. With time they scare into both the heart and vein wall becoming in effect part of your body. Until then if you lift the pacer side arm it tends to stretch the leads as your shoulder rises. With the newer leads and implant methods they commonly make a loop in the leads near the pacer which gives plenty of slack. On the heart end if you consider that the leads are embedded in a wildly thrashing heart I can't see how anything I could do would make a different. Old ideas die hard and some doc limit arm movement for as much as 6 weeks.

By the way such long periods with very limited movements can result in shoulder joint problems so it isn't as thought it matters.

You have to decide what you are comfortable with. I am a "think it through for myself type". Others are "Follow docs orders on everything type". I was out driving my Jeep in the desert a few days after implant.

frank

You know you're wired when...

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Do feel free to contact the manufacturer of your device. I have found them to be quite helpful when I have had questions and concerns.