PM extraction reaction

My dad had a PM pocket infection and had to have all hardware removed. Pocket was left open to heal by secondary intent. and a wound vac was used to assist in healing. Surgeon, staff and facility were all equipped to perform this delicate procedure. The pocket incision looks great, and is almost completely closed 3 weeks post-extraction. The problem is: When the wound vac dressing was removed, Dad had a bright red rash with small weeping blisters above the pocket wound and under his collar bone. I was afraid it might be a bacterial infection. In a few days, the weeping vesicles were gone, but the entire area was shiny, bumpy, and the redness had increased. The doctor ordered silvadene dressings 1-2 times daily. After a week or so, there was little change. The area is not bumpy, but still looks like a bad burn. I wondered if maybe the fluoroscopy and the topical antimicrobial used during the procedure could have caused a burn. It's being treated with an anti-fungal cream now. My dad says the area itches, but is not painful. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

3 Comments

Sorry to hear

by Tick-tock - 2013-10-12 02:10:14

I personally have not, but it is not out of the relm of things that happen. Sorry your father has been faced with do many hurdles recently. I hope he is doing well now. Curious, did he have a new pacemaker placed on the other side? Or what the next step will be for him. Thoughts and prayers to your family

re:sorry to hear

by 4mydad - 2013-10-19 03:10:32

Thankyou for your thoughts and prayers. No...no new pacemaker yet. He's very reluctant to have another surgery or procedure because of all the past problems. I certainly agree that if it is not entirely necessary, he shouldn't get another one. But the only proof that it is entirely necessary would be a pause long enough to cause him to fall. And that would be a disaster! As the cardiologist told him, he does not have the dexterity to "catch himself", even if he had time enough to know he was about to faint. I think the pm is a safety net that is entirely necessary. He really likes and trusts his cardiologist, so I'm pretty sure he will follow his advice and have another pm placed on the other side of his chest when the rash (whatever it is) resolves.

please -think about things carefully

by SPARKY - 2013-10-20 07:10:37

my husband entered a hospital oct. 13, 2011, and did not see the inside of our home until march 27, 2012. it was due to infection around the pocket area of the pacemaker/defib. some of the components had been in him as far back as 1997. drs here would not touch it even though the last proceedur was done at a local hospital in 2009. big well know teaching hospital who had all his previous records dating back to 1989 jumped right on it. we had asked local cardiologist if we could try to treat this with a course of antibotics. wouldn't touch it. we asked the same thing at the next hospital and all we got was " it's protocol that these things have to come out". we were not convinced that all the hardware was involved because test showed it to be functiong ok. with all his other health issues- diabetes namely, that another way should not be considered. it all turned out to be a nightmare that lasted months and is still ongoing. he came down with e-coli infection due to "dirty cather" words from the dr's mouth. he was subjected to something called a wound vac, outside on his neck pacemaker, a delay in get the new stuff put in on the opposite side, and on nov 9th 2011 suffered a right side brain stroke after having test run to check his kidney function, which I was never told that he had suffered acute kidney failure- the stroke happped on the way back to his room. plans had been made for him to go home nov10th. the stroke ended with him having to have a trachyostomy in his throat to help him breath. that was almost disasaterous . bled a lot, clogged up-
I forgot to mention that at some point before the surgery to put the new stuff in, the nurses forgot to stop the heprin drip hours before surgery-that should have been done but caused his time for surgery to be delayed hours. it was all a "hot mess " when they finally did decide to let him go- I think they got tired of me-they kept telling me that I should go on home. I live a hundred miles from the hospital and I was truly afraid that if I did that the next phone call I would get would be to tell me how sorry they were but that my husband had expired and where did I want them to send the body!
when they finally did realease him to a socalled rehab/nursing home in my town- that was horrible- they did not have the ablity to take care of his tracheostomy or his breathing treatments. they lied. he was there 9 days and developed e-coli infection in the tracheostomy.
I have so much more to go on about but the nightmare just goes on and on. when you look at me you are seeing my husbands left side. he walked into the hospital and came out in an ambulance. my friends keep telling me to contact a lawyer. I just believe that they made a clinical out of my husband. I have since learned that an alternative treatment may have been possible in the form of a device called "life vest." has been approved for use for situtaions like his since 2002. never knew of the exsistance and it was never mentioned. our lives have been devastated . I am 67 and he is now 70. we had lives prio to oct 13, 2011.

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