General Pacemaker Questions

I had a Medtronic dual chamber pacemaker implanted on 10/12/15.

I had the incision checked by my surgeon yesterday, 10/15/15, and per his advice removed the bandage today.

How soon can I shower and is it safe to let water run on the incision?

Also; I am diabetic and my blood sugar has been high. I have a stationary exercise bike(handlebars don't move). Is it safe to use it this soon after the implant was done?

3 Comments

They should have said

by Theknotguy - 2015-10-16 05:10:34

They should have covered that info with you when they took off the bandages. But different locations do it differently.

Once the wound is healed and the scabs are gone, you can run water on the incision.

My wound was so sore it was five months before I could even think of having anything, including water, touch it. So you'll have to make a decision on how sore the wound is.

Early on when the wound was still in pretty bad shape, I'd cover it with clean gauze, then cover the area with saran wrap. The plastic would stick to my skin and prevent any water from getting to the wound. Post shower I'd pull off the saran wrap. The gauze would keep the saran wrap from sticking to the wound.

Up until the five month period, I'd cover the wound with a wash cloth when showering. It prevented any direct water from splashing on it. Then would pat dry after the shower.

I'm diabetic too. You should be able to do the stationary bike right away. Just be aware the accelerometer on the Medtronic won't be activated by the stationary bike. So you may run into chronotropic incompetence. That's where your body is moving fast but the heart doesn't come up to speed quickly enough. At this time, and until the wound heals, you'll want to limit your exercise to about 1.5 hours max. Your body is still adjusting to the PM and you need that time for the body to adjust.

Hoe everything else goes well for you.

Shower now and exercise now

by IAN MC - 2015-10-16 05:10:58

Hi Tom The usual advice for surgical incisions is that it is OK to shower after 48 hours. The risks of introducing infection after 48 hrs are minimal; the human body is very efficient at quickly forming scar tissue to seal any wounds.

So now that you have had your dressings removed there is no reason not to shower but obviously avoid directing a high pressure spray straight onto the wound. If you want a prolonged, rather than a gentle shower cover the wound with a plastic bag, a piece of cling film or something similar for the next few days; after that you will be fine.

I think Theknotguy's experience was certainly not typical when he talks about covering the wound for up to 5 months !

Enjoy your stationary bike ride; it is perfectly safe to use !

Good luck

Ian



Thanks

by tomcom - 2015-10-16 06:10:50

Thanks for your feedback.

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My pacemaker is intact and working great.