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To Parents of Kids w/Pacemakers:

We have 16 days before surgery to implant pacemaker...are there any activities you suggest we do now while we can with our 6 year old, that he would be restricted from doing with a pacemaker?
Surgeon told us anything with vibrations or EMF's would have to be avoided.
What restrictions are you aware of?
Thank you for the information in advance!

5 Comments

Restrictions

by Pacemum - 2013-09-30 05:09:06

Fairground or theme park rides especially if they like dodgems. There will be no dodgems after implant.

Another thing I would do is go swimming as your child may not be able to do this for a few weeks after implant. However, after your child's recovery period they should be able to do most things but just have to be more careful in some sports but there should be alternatives.

Limitations ??

by donb - 2013-09-30 08:09:41

My EP just commented before doing my abdomen implant (quote), "I usually find my children patients in the playground doing the monkey bars a day after getting their implant". Well here goes: Expert implant surgeon named Dr. Lieberman c/o Harper University Hospital, Detroit, MI. Is internationally known for children implants as well as this 81 year old kid.
Some great info, Google above especially for your 6 year old.s upcoming surgery.
DonB

attitude

by Tracey_E - 2013-09-30 10:09:11

Go into this with the attitude that this is going to enable him to to whatever he feels up to, not that it is the end of the world and you have to rush through a bucket list. This is just a bump in the road. In my case, it was a new beginning. I had restrictions and limited stamina all my life, now with the pm, I'm full of energy and can do anything I want. Full contact sports probably aren't going to be a good idea, but they make protective shirts for that if he wants to try it.

EMF is everywhere, it won't hurt the pm. Big magnets will, but that's more industrial equipment than anything you'd find at home.

Vibrations will temporarily make it go faster if rate response is needed, it's not harmful just annoying. If rr isn't needed, it won't do anything.

Getting a pm sounds a lot worse than it is. We have teens and young adults who have been paced all their lives, they are thriving. They didn't routinely give kids pm's when I was a child so I got by without until adulthood. I get a little jealous that kids now can get their problem fixed and move on, wish I'd had that option too. I've had mine almost 20 years now. I'm healthy and active, there's nothing I want to do that I cannot. Most people don't even know I have it, not because I make a secret of it but because most of the time I forget it's there.

Arc Welding

by PacerRep - 2013-09-30 10:09:20

Your kid is not going to have a bunch of restrictions. So take him Arc Welding that's the only thing he will miss out on...

People can still do everything they could before the pacemaker, Vibrations and EMF do not damage the pacemaker and obviously your son will not need the pacemaker to survive so it's not going to matter as much with him. Don't overthink it, he will be ok.

Wouldn't that be hard on the leads?

by mtaylor - 2014-02-18 12:02:02

Playing on monkey bars right after a PM implant seems like it could do some damage, I mean, I couldn't even wash my hair with both hands for 90 days.

Yeah, with the modern devices, there isn't a whole lot left that you can't do with a PM.

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