surgery after om implant

Can anyone tell me what happens is you need surgery with a general anaesthetic eg gallbladder operation when you already have a pm fitted. Is it just a case of paying special attention to you during surgery or does the device have to be switched off.
I'm pacemaker dependant and got my third device fitted Last year and had a bad time for a few months post op with palpitations and getting it programmed correctly. I may be due to get gallbladder op and dont relish the prospect of going thru all that again if they have to tamper with the settings during surgery.

6 Comments

Hello

by mytrose43 - 2014-03-23 04:03:36

I had gallbladder surgery a couple of years ago as ell as severals while haveing a pacemaker with no problems some surgerys require a pm rep there but as far as i know there was none there during any of my surgerys but anesthesia was aware of me having a pacemaker .Good luck

thanks

by lizzie - 2014-03-23 05:03:31

Thank you mytrose43 for your positive comment.. know I'm being a bit of a woos bout this as there are so many lovely people on this site much worse of than myself but feel over the past two years I've had my share.
Broken foot in 2012 (in time for my ruby wedding anniversary) and my third pacemaker implant with all the problems in 2013 (two days after my 60th birthday) so hoped 2014 was going to be problem free but it appears not.
wondering what I can do to top it in 2015. Lol

I had two Total Knee Replacements

by janetinak - 2014-03-23 10:03:32

after my PM put in. Surgeries were 6 wk's apart & under general anesthesia. As far as I know no rep there either & both Orth surgeon & Anesthesiologist well aware of PM as I kept telling them :-). I am paced at 100% .

All went well & hope yours does to

Janet

There have been a bunch of threads..

by donr - 2014-03-25 09:03:07

.....on general anesthesia & PM's.

You are a SPECIAL CASE, demanding SPECIAL CARE since you are 100% PM dependent. your PM CANNOT BE SWITCHED OFF because you are 100% dependent

The Gall bladder is in the Liver, which is just below the diaphragm. The heart is not very far above the diaphragm, which has special ramifications.

When they do Gal bladder surgery, there is a very good chance that they will be using electrocautery during the procedure. Electrocautery uses electric current to cauterize incisions to curtail bleeding. Electric current anywhere near the heart can spoof the PM into thinking there is heart activity & inhibit it from functioning.

There is a big bunch of "Stuff" posted on this subject.

Here are the links for them to preclude me having to re-write it all:

http://www.pacemakerclub.com/public/jpage/1/p/story/a/storypage/sid/28280/content.do

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1420917/

www.cardiacengineering.com/pacemakers-wallace.pdf

http://www.pacemakerclub.com/public/jpage/1/p/story/a/storypage/sid/24611/content.do


This is NOT a trivial question from you, as there can be significant danger for you if things go wrong. Anesthesiologists are notorious for having an attitude that "I'll just throw a magnet over it & everything will be OK." NOT necessarily so - especially read the article by WALLACE - the third link I listed. It will give you the nuts & bolts about surgery & electrocautery (Bovie is the medical term for the device that does it).

There are 4 members who have had significant experience w/ PM's, Anesthesiologists & surgeons & procedures.

Donr; Grateful Heart, Cohara & Bostonstrong. The links above should cover all the significant info & controversy.

If you have any further questions, ask away, Even send me a Pvt Msg & I will try my best to clear things up.

It should be obvious from the links that we collectively are less than impressed w/ our safety while Zonked out cold on a steel table. This is a new experience for you, so I expect you to be concerned.

Donr



Total knee replacement

by Joanb - 2018-02-17 13:48:36

I have just been told I need a total knee replacement and I am 100% PM with an AV Node Ablation, only done 8 months ago! I’m worried about the knee replacement surgery and complications with my heart! I will be 84 years old in a few months, am not overweight and have family nearby. I’m really nervous about doing this.  Can anyone share with me there similar situation? Thank you, Joan

Total knee replacement

by Joanb - 2018-02-17 13:48:40

I have just been told I need a total knee replacement and I am 100% PM with an AV Node Ablation, only done 8 months ago! I’m worried about the knee replacement surgery and complications with my heart! I will be 84 years old in a few months, am not overweight and have family nearby. I’m really nervous about doing this.  Can anyone share with me there similar situation? Thank you, Joan

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