What changes can I expect?

I am a mother of a child that will be having a pacemaker put in very soon. She is a sporty, fit, athletic gymnast. She is looking at working as a gymnastics coach while she studies to be a primary school teacher. She is only 13 but has already set wheels in motion for her future. She currently helps out at her gym as an aid and hopes to start her coaches course in Jan when she turns 14. We hear lots of different stories and my daughter is all about trying anything. She loves scary rides, she not scared of heights and loves playing team sports. She is also very good at athletics and she loves the out doors.
Could anyone tell me if this will be possible after she has her pacemaker and sport wise what she can and can't do?

9 Comments

Just a few things

by Pacemum - 2014-11-09 01:11:00

The biggest change will be the theme park rides which she have to learn to be careful of. Most other activities should be fine. I agree that due to your daughter age she will probably prefer it under the muscle as it will be less visible.

My daughter is 14 and is now on her third as she has been paced since she was a baby. She is very active and does a lot of dance.

It may take some time for your daughter to adjust to having the pacemaker when she is able to resume her activities again. Children usually have a higher rate when exercising then adults and the pacemaker top rates do not go as high. She may find that it will take some time to adjust but if she sticks with it then she should be able to continue to enjoy all her activities.

Hope everything goes well.

Based on experience...

by PeteFindlay - 2014-11-09 02:11:09

... of a 50 year old male, a few weeks recovery and another few weeks getting gradually back to full activity, and it's unlikely there'll be any limitations for her just as a result of having a PaceMaker. Subject, of course to any underlying issues, and the reason for needing a PM.

A sub-pectoral implant is far better protected, and from a physical appearance point of view, is barely noticeable if at all, apart from the scar. I have nothing to compare it with, but the pain and discomfort from my op wasn't bad at all - it ached for a few weeks is all, and a bit more as I started back to normal activity. That is, normal for me - CrossFit (including weightlifiting, gymnastics), running, skydiving, etc :)

I'm sure a teenager has the potential for a quicker, smoother recovery than a middle-aged man, both physically and emotionally. The biggest risk will probably be to make sure she takes it steady, and eases back to the gymnastics gradually over the first month or two.

Best wishes to you both - hope all goes smoothly.

Gymnastics

by Pacemum - 2014-11-09 02:11:51

Just to add there may be one piece of gym equipment which may have restrictions depending on where the PM is placed. Advice should be sought from cardiologist/ep.

Pacemaker implant

by golden_snitch - 2014-11-09 03:11:38

Hi!

You did not say why your daughter gets the pacemaker. But it sounds as if she's very fit and athletic, so I guess her sinus node is working well, otherwise she could hardly be that active. Does she have occasional heart blocks, episodes of passing out?

I mostly agree with the comment by Theknotguy. It always depends a little on what you need the pacemaker for. Usually, patients with a heart block only have very few limitations, because their natural pacemaker (sinus node) in their heart still sets the appropriate pace. It's a bit more tricky for those patients, whose sinus node is a little lazy. They need the pacemaker to determine the appropriate heart rate, for instance when exercising. Different manufacturers works with different sensors that measure the level of activity, some have more limitations than others. There are, for example, motion sensors that need upper body movement to react, which is why some patients have problems with cycling.

For young and/or very active people there are, in my opinion, two important aspects with regards to pacemaker implantation:
1. If needed, the type of rate response sensor (for those with a sick sinus node), and
2. how it is implanted.

I have already explained the rate response issue a bit. For active people, who need a sensor-driven rate response, I'd always recommend either a combination of motion sensor + minute ventilation sensor or a so called CLS sensor (closed loop stimulation). A motion sensor alone has too many limitations. I have tried out all three types, and so my recommendation is based on personal experience. But my cardios also say that motion sensors alone are not appropriate for young and/or active people.

Now, regarding placement the standard procedure would be to implant the pacemaker in a pocket under the skin. But there is also the option of placing it under the major chest muscle, where it's a little better protected, less visible, and less likely to dislocate. If an active patient ask me, I always recommend the sub-muscular implant. I have had it both ways, and definitely prefer it under the muscle. Got my first pacemaker when I was 18, had it relocated under the muscle when I was 21. It did hurt more after surgery, took a longer time to heal, but in my opinion it's totally worth it.

So, your daughter and you should talk to the cardio/surgeon about placement, and make sure he or she knows how very active your daughter is. And if this applies to her, also talk about the rate response sensor.

Best wishes

Inga

The short answer

by Theknotguy - 2014-11-09 12:11:39

The short answer is all that and more.

The PM imposes very few limitations on a person's lifestyle. We have people who run in marathons, scuba dive, sky dive, bicycle, do triathlons, lift weights, swim, and just about any other sport you can think of.

At the moment, about the only thing you can't do (of which I am aware) is hold a private pilot's license. I got that information from a fellow forum member who is still flying, albeit with a licensed co-pilot. (It's a FAA regulation. But I shudder to think how many pilots are flying around with bad hearts just waiting to crash.)

I can do 99.999% of what I did before I had the PM. Some things I can do better because I have a good heartbeat now.

You and your daughter will get a lot of misinformation about PM's, what you can't do, limitations, etc. Most of it will come from medical people who should know better. I guess that about 80% of the information I received about PM's from medical people was flat out wrong. I was told I could never raise my elbow above my shoulder - not true. Couldn't be in a room with at microwave oven - not true. I had a heart attack - not true. Wouldn't be able to hold a cell telephone to my left ear - not true. Wouldn't be able to use my remote for my car - not true. Wouldn't be able to run woodworking equipment - not true. About the most I would be able to do is get up in the morning, sigh about my dreary life, and go back to bed. NOT TRUE!

I'll let others chime in about limitations for the first four to six weeks. There will be limitations while her body adjusts to the PM and incorporates the leads. But after that your daughter can go out and live a full and active life. She has a lot of living to do. Encourage her to do it!

Let her recover

by NiceNiecey - 2014-11-10 12:11:26

Make sure she gives herself some time to recover before getting back to full speed in gymnastics. I, too, was a gymnast at that age. Virtually every muscle in the body is put to use and the area around the PM (presumably under the left collar bone) can be really sore for several weeks. Don't let her rush out and use that arm on gymnastics apparatus for 2 months (just my opinion). You don't want a lead to come loose, which is a big problem.

Contact sports do concern me a bit because it REALLY HURTS to get banged on that PM, even long after the area is completely healed. Boys have cups for their privates and we need something like that for our PMs while playing contact sports!

No matter what, it sounds like your daughter will do really well since she seems to have a mature, determined attitude about life.

All the best.

ARGAG

by sethgodfrey - 2015-01-13 04:01:10


gO ON
www.blog.com/

Medical Device

by ConnorHargrove - 2015-01-15 08:01:11


Pacemaker is an implanted electronic device which is used when the heartbeat count is not up to the level. Usually pacemakers used in children who have issues regarding congenital heart defects.

As you can look the wide range of medical devices on www.ilexmedical.com, the process of diagnosing and monitoring disease become simpler.

Such devices help doctors to reach the root cause of problem immediately and provide effective treatment for it.

15 year old with pacemaker

by Jenniferlee48 - 2015-01-23 12:01:13

My daughter just had her pacemaker implanted in July at 15. She was a cross country runner at the time and had just transitioned to sprinting. Dr told us that running is fine. She has just gone back to lifting some weights and push ups/pull ups. She is still very sore at times but is getting by fine. Its been six months and for a good 5 of them she seemed to baby the side her pacemaker was implanted. She carried her back pack on the opposite side and things like that. Because of this she is weaker on that side and is now trying to build the muscle back up. He said the main things we needed to be concerned with were contact sports. Things like football, wrestling, soccer etc. He also said if the leads are placed near the collar bone that swimming can cause the leads to need replacement quicker because the repetitive motion causes the wires to rub and they can wear through quicker. Doesn't mean she can't be a swimmer though if thats what she chooses.

Roller coaster were a big one for us. We live in So. CA and she is use to going on them a lot. Our Dr said that she can still ride most of them. He said we should avoid one that have chest harnesses that will come into contact with where is pacemaker is placed. I think honestly it will be about using your best judgement. My daughter still refuses to go to amusement parks because she doesn't want to have sit out and feel bad.

Honestly for us the biggest adjustments have been more emotional rather then physical. Since our daughters are close in age if you have any questions I can help you with feel free to message me. I did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions. I would be happy to share our experiences with you.

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