Moving my pacemaker

I had my pacemaker implanted when I was 15 and because breast tissue wasn't developed all the way yet they placed it under my arm it's in a pocket in my arm pit. Well it has slipped it's sitting on my ribs and is extremely painful. I'm having it moved to a different location, the usual location below my collar bone. Has anyone heard of this or in a similar situation I'm very nervous and can't find any information about this any where any info would be appreciated!! Thanks

1 Comments

Check on the forum

by Theknotguy - 2014-03-03 11:03:15

We've had a couple of posts on this forum where people have had PM's moved up to the clavicle area.

Some of the doctors were cosmetically aware and either hid the scar or put the PM in a location where it wasn't conspicuous.

I had a lot of trauma prior to getting my PM so my situation wasn't typical. For me there was some discomfort in the PM area but the problems decreased over time. They told me I wouldn't get back to "normal" before six months. It's been almost five months and I'm doing really well. It's my first PM so I can't relate directly to your problem.

Most people on this forum don't report any problems with the PM under the clavicle position. They usually are up and moving within a few days. So it usually seems to be a fast recovery.

I talked with a cardiac nurse about PM replacements. She said keeping the heart beating was the first priority. So they'll use something like an external PM to keep the heart going while they switch. Not to worry there.

Since they have to replace the PM, now would be a good time to find out what your cardiologist supports and which would be the best fit for your lifestyle.

My cardiologist supports Medtronics, Boston Scientific, and St. Jude. It's about 30% for each. Each has advantages. Question is which fits you best.

Hope this helps.

Theknotguy

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I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for pacemakers. I've had mine for 35+ years. I was fainting all of the time and had flat-lined also. I feel very blessed to live in this time of technology.