Pacemaker in UK hospital

• by hernebay
• 2012-02-18 06:02:41
• Checkups & Settings
• 1279 views
• 1 comments

Had my dual chamber pacemaker implanted December 2011. The Doctor had problems getting it in and I had a haematoma afterwards. Have been off work since due to extreme bruising (whole of left breast was black and still has faint marks). Went for check up
end of January and was told that the lead to the ventricle was not pacing but only sensing. The technician bleeped for the Registrar who took the results to a Consultant. On his return I was told that it would have to be replaced as the lead was not working and the pacemaker had been placed too high up. I asked about the bruising and was told that they had not strapped my breasts down but next time I would be better prepared for the procedure! I was sent for a chest x-ray and was told by the Registrar to go home afterwards and if it was a bad result he would write to me. I went to see my GP as I was so worried and he wrote to the consultant that I had seen back in November after blacking out in May!! A week later the technician rang me to say that my consultant wanted to see me next week to do another pacing check himself! Meanwhile I received a date for the replacement but not until end of March!
I had the pacing check done again and this time I was told that everything was working normally and that the chest x-ray showed that both leads were fully intact in my heart. I asked the consultant if he thought the other machine in January was faulty and he said he did not know.
I just cannot believe that all is now normal inside me and I know that there will always be this niggling doubt in the back of my mind as to whether or not it is working properly.
I still have bad bruising and the consultant prescribed some anti inflammatory pills for this.
I am too worried to return to work now due to what has happened.

Has anybody else had these problems with a pacing check machine?