Drumming / Percussion

Hi,

We are to meet soon with cardiologist to discuss implanting pacemaker for (infrequent right now, but increasing) heart stoppage due to vasalvagal syncope. My 12 year old son lives for drumming and percussion. Anyone know if there are any limitations on this activity? Also for how long might he have to take a break after pacemaker is implanted? thanks for replies.

11 Comments

Not unless...

by donr - 2013-11-25 02:11:13

...your ears cannot handle listening to all the noise! There should be no restrictions on him physically once he has recovered from the initial surgery. The PM should not cause any problems.

Does he just play in a concert type band or is he a trap set drummer, hoping to become the next Gene Krupa, turning out a hit like "Big Noise from Winetka"?

If he's a bass drummer in a marching band, there might be a period when it is not smart to carry that base drum due to the weight restrictions for about 6 weeks.

These are all things to discuss w/ the cardio.

Cymbals are a different colored horse. Holding them out in front may well be a constraint for the 6 wks normally placed on the new host. Resounding, climatic crashes from some classical music could be a bit stressful on the incision for a while,.

Personally, I'd say he's safe playing snare drum or base drum in a concert setting as soon as he no longer feels soreness in the implant shoulder. Ditto for Timpani drums.

Triangle should always be safe, as should the claves, maraccas, & all the small stuff that percussionists piddle around with.

If he gets involved w/ the vertical tubular bells, that could be a problem because of raising the elbow above the shoulder when striking them.

If this all doesn't work out & he has the PM implanted on the right shoulder, he can always learn to play the Sousaphone.

Don (old HS clarinetist)

Correction...

by salmon66 - 2013-11-25 03:11:14

Did I say 12 yrs old...actually he's 14, not sure why I wrote 12. He's eighth grade (wind ensemble, jazz band) and he plays snare, quads, marimba, occasional Timpani, jazz drumset, and then plays rock drums for fun. He probably practices minimum 2-3 hours a day. He can't wait for marching band next year in high school. Right now he thinks we are totally over-blowing the fact that his heart only beat once in 17 seconds during the last episode, and the previous two he went into a seizure. He's a good kid but I expect some battles (or sneakiness) if we have to limit him. 6 weeks recovery will be a setback for the entire jazz band because he is the only percussionist. Donr- is it a problem to lift your elbow above your shoulder with a pacemaker?

Harness

by salmon66 - 2013-11-25 03:11:22

That is a great suggestion about considering the harness when placing the pm. He is obsessed with making snare drum in the marching band. Last time I turned around at a high school football game he had managed to push his way into playing snare with the high school band in the stands. But drumming is one thing that he is totally self-motivated about. His fainting episodes were two years apart but he now has had 3 six weeks apart. I don't know too many marching bands that are willing to carry a stretcher during their performances so we are considering the pacemaker. Thanks everyone.

Don

by Tracey_E - 2013-11-25 03:11:25

Why am I not surprised you are a former band geek?!
Our neighbor 3 doors down has his drum set in the garage. Fortunately I like listening to drum cadences. They make electronic drums for practice now, they can wear headphones so we don't hear anything. They do not make anything like that for bassoon. My youngest started off wanting to do percussion but then decided bassoon was the coolest thing she'd ever seen. It's lovely now but it sounded like a tugboat in the house for about 6 months.

jazz band

by Tracey_E - 2013-11-25 03:11:54

He should be fine for now but talk to his dr. After we heal raising arm is not an issue. Can he keep his arm down and still play for now?

Gosh mom, it was only two seizures, what's the big deal!? (yes, that was said tongue in cheek, I have teens too) Really, once he heals you shouldn't have to limit him much at all. Contact sports are not a good idea but I don't know any band kids that have time for football anyway so you're off the hook there. Also know that the 6 weeks healing is precaution to let the leads settle. The crucial time is the first 24-48 hours, after that odds of dislodging a lead are slim, and most that do dislodge are because they weren't in an ideal spot, not because of anything we did. So, even if he cheats a bit during the healing period he's not going to do any damage.

Good luck! I'm a mom now, but I was diagnosed when I was 5 so I've been on both sides of this. This is MUCH harder on the parents than the kids. Kids bounce back faster than adults, and they don't think things through and worry like parents do. They heal and move on.

band

by Tracey_E - 2013-11-25 03:11:57

Big cheer for band kids! They're the best kids. I have two myself and am an active band booster.

Is he planning to march? If yes, I would show a picture of a harness to the surgeon and ask them to take that into consideration when they place the pm. They can make it a little deeper than usual so the harness is comfortable for him. Are they even doing it on his chest for now? Depending when he hits his growth spurt, they may start with it in the abdomen which makes this paragraph irrelevant ;o)

He can be back on his drums as soon as he feels up to it. We aren't supposed to raise the arm higher than shoulder level or lift anything heavy for 6 weeks. Other than that, anything goes.

hmmm

by Tracey_E - 2013-11-25 04:11:32

I'm in charge of the first aid kit at our games, gotta say we don't have a stretcher in it!

He will probably have a lot more energy after. We don't even realize how tired we get until we feel better. I had compensated for so long I had no idea how bad off I was until it was fixed.

We love it when the middle school kids are enthusiastic. Our band director is always pulling in middle school kids and alumni, all band kids are family. It worked out great for my two, both of them had an effortless transition to high school and I credit band. They had an instant circle of friends and upperclassmen to take them under their wing. My girls are 10th (bassoon concert/sax jazz and marching) and 11th (flute concert, piccolo marching.

Limitations post-op

by donr - 2013-11-25 04:11:51

There are limitations post op - USUALLY AS FOLLOWS:

1) DO NOT lift elbow on implant side above shoulder for 6 weeks.

2) No driving for X weeks. (X depends on the surgeon)

3) DO NOT lift more than X lbs w/ the PM side arm for 6 weeks. (Again X depends on the surgeon. Mine started at 5 lbs. I conned them into 8 lbs. Who the &^%$%$ knows how much 5 lbs is? Everyone knows how much a gallon of milk weighs - 8 lbs.)

Supposedly this is to protect against pulling a lead out of its implant site in the heart. I think that is poppycock - it's more to protect the incision site IMHO. I had the same constraints after a shoulder surgery NOT involving my PM.

Don

placement

by Tracey_E - 2013-11-25 05:11:49

The most common/easiest place to put it is just under the skin, just under the collarbone. I was very underweight when I got my first one, my cardio didn't want to leave me with a big lump (pm's were bigger then) so he called in a plastic surgeon to do it sub-mammary. With guys they can do it a little lower and deeper on the upper chest, or they can put it between the pectorals. Talk to the surgeon beforehand. Some drs are more open to alternate placement than others. If he has a problem with it, ask about consulting with a plastic surgeon like I did. My insurance covered it and I think my ep was relieved that he could concentrate on getting the leads where they needed to be and not have to deal with making it look nice. This will also make it more comfortable for him to carry a backpack. With the usual placement, straps often sit right on it and some people find it uncomfortable.

One downside to burying it is it leaves us more sore and healing is slower than the simple placement just under the skin. I got by on Tylenol after the first couple of days so it wasn't awful, but it's a little more drawn out. Maybe do it over winter break so he doesn't miss any school? That would give him extra time to take it easy before getting back to his regular schedule.

drummer

by Pacemum - 2013-11-25 06:11:15

If you ask the cardio/doctor they will give you any limitations whilst healing. Then he should be able to continue.

Placement - the pacemaker can be tucked away so it is not visible. My daughters is currently sub pectoral and her pacemakers have been in that position since she was 7.

Just to add - we have always been told that the leads are just clipped into the heart and the restrictions are to allow time for tissue to form and secure leads into heart.

Marching Drums

by MelodyMarch - 2013-11-27 08:11:24

FIrst off I think it is great that your son is so into music and band! As a music teacher that warms my heart!

Even after the initial recovery, there are a few things I would watch out for, since I work with the marching band where I teach.

First, I would be very wary of the bass drum harnesses, they actually put the most pressure on the shoulder area that could affect placement the most, the largest drum that most high schools use is upwards of 40lbs. Snare harnesses are better designed, and the most ergonomic of the drum harnesses. Quads are in-between the two since the quads are very heavy, and the harnesses are more like the bass drum. THe best advice is to work with the band director for what is the best fit for him, and the drumline's needs. Cymbals should be okay, once healed since most of the time they are choked and supported on the torso. (Most percussionists worth their salt however, do not want to play the cymbals, since the double reeds usually end up there).

Second, as the director that takes care of all the med forms, and medical issues for our band, I would make sure that there is a copy of his device card attached (stapled) to his med form in case of emergency. As a director I hope I never have to pull that form, but for the kids that have something to watch out for I am always grateful for more information rather than less if a parent is not there.

Third, once working through the above things I would back off! Keep an eye on things of course, but teenagers want a little independence.

Hope this helps!!

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