Pacemaker site tender

I am almost 5 weeks post pacemaker insertion and I am finding the incision area and pacemaker site is still tender to touch and I have some pain around the area still! I was wondering if anyone else experienced tenderness 5 weeks post-surgery? I am starting to worry that maybe it's not normal! I saw my family doctor a couple weeks ago and he was pleased with how he cut was healing and there is no sign of infection! Just wondering how long it will take for the tenderness to go away/if this is normal!

Thanks!

11 Comments

Me too

by Bhamster - 2015-09-15 03:09:28

5 weeks tomorrow for me and the site is also still a little tender to touch. I put an ice pad on it for awhile which seemed to help. I saw my doctor just a few days ago and the incision and area is doing fine, everything seems to be normal. I guessing some of the little pin pricks or so-called ant bites could be nerves regenerating.

Good luck!

Still healing

by Gotrhythm - 2015-09-15 04:09:03

After barely 5 weeks you are still healing on the inside even though the incision looks closed. It's possible you're still swollen deep inside.

I didn't realize how much swelling I had until the swelling went down completely and it became easy to see the complete outline of the PM under the skin. (i'm small without much padding.)

Everyone heals differently, but no, it isn't uncommon for the area to be tender even after the official healing period of six weeks.

Ten Months Later

by Artist - 2015-09-15 04:09:17

I am a 74 year old woman, so my healing process might be longer than that of a younger person. I have continually increased my activities and participate in an exercise class five days a week. My PM site is still mildly sensitive and does hurt when I really add more strenuous activity like pushing a lawn mower, power washing the house, lifting my 30 lb dog with my left arm, doing the fly weight exercise etc. This is to be expected as I continue to increase my activity. It's not uncommon for the healing process to take a year since every time the scar tissue is stretched by increased movement of the pectoral muscle, that can cause some pain. Meanwhile my bradycardia is no more and my irregular heart beats are almost non- existent. The temporary bouts of pain are a small price to pay for such an improvement in my health. I welcome this temporary discomfort because it tells me that I am working to improve my cardiovascular health and muscle strength and flexibility. I refuse to slip into complacency and fulfill people's expectations regarding how a 74 year old woman should act. Stay strong and carry on.

Probably normal

by Griddlebone - 2015-09-15 04:09:42

This is something you should mention to your doctor, but it's probably normal, especially if the incision is healing well. Muscles are covered and more or less attached to each other by fluffy connective tissue called areolar tissue. During the implantation, a pocket is formed by separating the muscles. It is neither a violent nor a gentle process, and you can have soreness in the area for some time. After implantation the body builds up a connective tissue cover or capsule over the foreign object, and then that can cause muscles to tug a bit. I can still feel occasional twinges in the area, a year out.

Best wishes for a continued great recovery!

I think it's fairly normal.

by BetsyQ - 2015-09-15 10:09:49

At 9 weeks tomorrow, my insertion site is still a bit tender and I still have a little swelling by my armpit area. I have a follow up with the EP's nurse practitioner tomorrow and I plan to ask about the swelling, just to be on the safe side. I was raking pine needles yesterday for a few hours and definitely felt the pulling and tugging. But hey, at least I can rake, right? A few months ago I wouldn't have had the energy to do more than think about it!

welcome

by Tracey_E - 2015-09-16 01:09:24

We are glad you found us! I also have congenital heart block and got my first pacer at 27. That was 20 years ago. It doesn't slow me down a bit! If you have questions or just want to chat with someone who's been in your shoes, lemme know.

Thanks

by lcw306 - 2015-09-16 01:09:31

Thanks everyone! I am 24 years old and found out I had Congenital Heart Block 6 weeks ago, I had my pacemaker put in and it was all a shock and came on really fast! So I guess I get pretty nervous! I don't know anyone with a pacemaker so it is nice to have a group like this :)

activity?

by Tracey_E - 2015-09-16 01:09:36

Sometimes as we heal and get back to normal, we overdo it a bit so it gets sore again.

Artist and BetsyQ are making me feel ashamed...

by Griddlebone - 2015-09-16 03:09:42

I'm supposed to be at the gym right now for 45 minutes of cardio. Instead, I'm being a sloth at the computer. Luckily, it's not a scheduled visit, so I can take Artist's inspiration and go right after posting this.

Don't get me started on raking. If having a PM kept me from being able to rake leaves, I'd have 5 of em implanted. :)

It can take a while

by Theknotguy - 2015-09-16 12:09:40

I was five months before I would let anyone touch it.

Gotrhythm and Artist have pointed out we all heal differently and it takes longer for swelling to go down for others.

It is frustrating to have that soreness but as long as you don't have an infection you should be OK.

At seven months I started back doing volunteer work. Had to go through another round of soreness because I was doing more exercise. This time it was the PM pocket being stretched from the inside by the PM itself.

I used cold compresses, warm compresses, and took tylenol. That seemed to help.

Hope everything else continues to go well for you.

Less than 24 hours...

by Love - 2015-09-17 01:09:55

Hi!
Just had my duel lead generator replaced yesterday. I am 73 yo. It lasted four years. I was home 2.5 hours after replacement! It is very, very sore and have to be really careful how I move or reach. Women have a pull on it healing when large breasted! So happy I checked the messages here and feel like I'm not alone in feeling like a baby due to such painful tenderness...LOL!

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