Area around pacemaker swelling and burns

I've had my pace maker since June of 2005, always hurt a little on and off. but for 6 weeks now there has been a lot of swelling and the top of my pacemaker under the incision is puffy.. family doctor wants the heart doctor to look at it, the heart doctor wanted the family doctor to look at it, so far a blood text, chest X-ray, and an ultra sound has been taken. so far no indication and thing else is wrong but the swelling is still there and my arm motion isn't what it should be.. Family doctor said it might be blood from a tear in the muscle, or it could be infected.. anyone else have this problem in the past.? Please help with some ideas of what it could be..

5 Comments

infectious disease dr

by Tracey_E - 2012-01-16 01:01:21

Sorry to deliver potential bad news, but just about everyone I've seen who posted something similar here, it eventually turned out to be an infection. Ask either of your docs about referring you to an infectious disease specialist to rule out infection. It's rare, but you can get a pocket infection years after implant. If that's the case, you want to get it diagnosed and under control asap. Stay on them or find another opinion, don't let them pass you back and forth while they stand around scratching their heads. Good luck!!

i agree

by kat97 - 2012-01-16 02:01:25

hi i agree. my surgeon blew me off for 6 weeks after i had an internal heart monitor placed. it ended up being mrsa. yes the difference is mine was close after implant but infection can lay dormant for years or all of a sudden appear. go to an infectious disease dr. good luck lee

Another Question??

by donb - 2012-01-16 05:01:08

I had similar PM site problem a few years ago with my 3rd PM. Had blood tests, Alergy Tests and was put off by my surgeon for a year. Finally erosion started, lots of antibiotics, PM removal as my site was a terrible mess with terrible scar tissue. As I'm a keloid person all my life they should have looked at my appendectomy scar from surgery at age 12.
I am now right chest 4th PM with another pair of leads. It took 2 surgeries to clean up my old left site of all the scar tissue. I have concluded that being way too active doing bull work the 1st 15 PM years contributed to my site problem. My new site of 2 years is most comfortable but I just changed my truck battery this noon & my site hurts. Might mention also I did years of cardiac rehab using the bench arm exercisers which really aggrivated my old site & may have been the final trouble maker. Any Thoughts??
donb

Yike

by shieldspf - 2012-01-17 09:01:20

Do something fast. This can only get worse. When a lingering infection decides to show itself, it doesn't just settle down again for a long winter's night. I'd suggest a call to the surgeon who actually did the implant. I think that's where the ER folks would send you anyway. He or she would have an incentive to get in there and operate again. If the pacer has to be moved to a different site in order to clear the infection in the pocket, it should be done sooner rather than later. BTW, if that's what they want to do, I wouldn't fight that. I"ve had mine changed because my pocket just wore out after several pacers over many years, and it's no big deal going to a new spot. If I had an infection in a site, I'd request a new pocket since you don't want your leads to get involved in this mess.

I'm really amazed that one of these doctors hasn't started you on some serious antibiotics in case it's a serious infection.

Whatever you are going to do, do it quickly. Please let us know how this goes.

Carole

alternative explanation

by samuelh - 2012-01-18 03:01:27

On my second implant i was given a bi ventricular pacer defiblerator,the size of a buick.I had been in permanent atrial fib.for 2 years and on anticoagulants.My inr got screwed up prior to surgery and combined with an inexperienced surgeon i ended up with a haematoma,,,,bleeding in the pocket.After considerable research and requesting an explanation the head surgeon decided on a redew only because a capped and abandoned lead had floated loose and was pressing against my chest and threatening to puncture my skin.They are extremely hesitant to do so because of the risk of infection which can be a major problem.Had it not been for the floating lead I would have had to live with the very uncomfortable haematoma untill it was absorbed.Ice packs helped a lot.
sam

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