Lead Movement

Good evening all. I posted a message the other day about having issues with one of my leads (switching polarities and fluctuating impedances). Still no answers there, but now I have another concern.
When I had my first surgery back in '86 they did the implant right under the surface of the skin. The whole works was trying to come through my skin, though, so they buried everything under the muscle.
Today I discovered that I can feel one of my leads. I have a bit of discomfort, but I can live with that. My concern is, how much play do the leads actually have? Since they have obviously moved is there any chance of this thing trying to break lose from my heart? Just don't know what to think or what to do.
I have an appointment to go back on Wednesday for another PM check. Will I be ok to wait until then to say something to the doc?
Thanks for any advice!
Carol

2 Comments

Lead Length

by donr - 2012-04-24 12:04:44

Carol: have you ever seen an X-ray of your chest? That will show you exactly where the leads are. I don't know what yours look like, but mine are kinda coiled up between the PM & where they enter the sub-clavian vein right under the collarbone. So - if yours are similar to mine, there is lotsa slack.

Question - WHERE do you feel the lead? My guess is right at the vein where it enters to descend to your heart. (I can feel both of mine at that point & they feel lumpy & funny.) Doesn't matter whether they put the PM under or above the muscle - if the leads enter the sub clavian vein, they do it at the same location below the collar bone & you coud easily feel them at that point. My PM is just under the skin (wanna read its serial number? )

If your PM has been in since 1986 & you still have the original leads, the chances of them having any slack at all inside the vein are pretty slim. The body recognizes the leads as foreign matter & encapsulates them in tissue & pretty much immobilizes them to the vein wall.

Realize, also that where the leads enter the vein that it scars over, immobilizing the lead at the point of entry. If it weren't immobilized, you would constantly be oozing blood through the entry point & your chest in the vicinity of the PM would probably be swollen, sore & perhaps infected.

The best thing for you to do is to relax, keep the appt next Wed & ask the cardio all these same questions. betcha he/she gives you the same answers I did.

Don

Feeling Leads

by Carol M - 2012-04-25 08:04:32

Don,
Thanks so much for your reassurance. I have had my PM for 25 years and have not had any issues until just last week, with the acception of when I first had my surgery.
I feel a lot of discomfort in the region of my heart and I can feel the leads in my armpit. Nothing up near my collarbone.
I went back for another interrogation today and this crazy lead is still unipolar instead of bipolar and my impedances are still fluctuating.
Now, I am beginning to feel "off" though. Have for a couple of days. I just don't feel right. Can't do much without getting tired and shaky. No signs of being sick. Have tried to ignore it, but I'm not having much luck.
I feel myself pace constantly now, to where in the past I have only felt this if I was laying or sitting in a certain position.
Also did some research (probably should not have done that) because when I had my last implant in 2004 they don't have the manufacturer of my leads on my ID card. The medtronic rep was able to find that the lead I am having issues with is a St. Jude lead (this is where the should have left well enough alone comes in). I have found that they have had recalls on certain models of their leads. I have no idea if mine is one of them. I was only told that it is, in fact, a St. Jude lead. The symptoms I am having seem to run right along the course of what I have read of the recalls.
So, still no answers. Going to call the doc in the a.m. and see what they think of what I found out.
One more post to see if anyone else has or has had St. Jude leads and if they have experienced any issues.
Just want to feel better.

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