My upcoming surgery

Hello everyone,

So next week I have my S-ICD implanted and I'm a little nervous because I don't like needles and the fact that I'm going to be cut. So when you have the surgery did anyone feel a lot of pain? How long was recovery? And how long do you stay in the hospital?
Any insights would be great.

3 Comments

overthinking

by Tracey_E - 2016-03-02 03:03:53

Don't concentrate on that part! No one likes needles or being cut, just sayin. Don't dwell on that, it is what it is. Focus on feeling better and being safer after.

Tell them you are nervous. They can give you something for the night before if you ask, and they can give you something to relax you pretty soon after the iv is hooked up.

I didn't feel anything other than getting the iv. They can do a little shot of lidocaine first so you don't even feel that. I was awake for the surgery but had versed so I don't remember anything. You should not feel any pain during. As for pain after, we all vary. I had a replacement last month and didn't take more than tylenol. When I got my first one, I had something stronger for a few days, mostly at night to sleep. I didn't think it was that bad, but we're all built differently and have different tolerances for pain.

Make sure they know you swim (I'm assuming you swim based on your username!) They can put it a little lower and a little deeper so it's not in your way.

Usually overnight in the hospital for a new placement.

Recovery varies. I slept a lot the first couple of days. By the end of the first week, I was mostly back to my usual schedule, just moving slowly and napping more days than not. It took 6-8 weeks before I was feeling my old self, could bend/twist any direction and do my full routine at the gym without feeling it. Now? I do what I want and feel great and don't think about it much. I just got my 5th one last month. They made me wait 4 weeks to get back to the gym because of infection risk but I was feeling good and chomping at the bit after the first week.

To me, the worry leading up to the surgery was the worst part! It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd built it up to be in my head, and recovery was better than expected.

Tracey is correct

by WillieG - 2016-03-02 08:03:28

I agree that waiting is the hardest part as well as the unknown. We are all very different regarding recovery. I wanted to let you know that I was not tired at all. In fact I drove 450 mi the day after I got out of the hospital by myself. The hardest part was the soreness of my left arm, which made it even hard to use the blinker light. But this was only three or so days and I was fine when time to drive home. It took 2 weeks for me to be able to sleep on my R side and 3 weeks of the L side. I was biking after 2 weeks, swam gentle breast stroke laps after 4 weeks (although when I asked the nurse she said, "absolutely no swimming for 6 weeks") and was back to racquetball after 5 weeks. So you should be fine!

I did find the mental adjustment to be difficult. I didn't know anyone with a pacemaker and thought they were for older people. (And I was 61 but didn't think of my self as old, LOL) I had exercise induced AV block so I never felt bad before and waking up from the EP study with a PM was a bit of a shock. But compared to other problems in this world, this is something that is "fixable", so I find this helps me not dwell on the negative.

Good luck to you!

Think of it as

by flowergirl - 2016-03-04 05:03:23

a Guardian Angel in your chest. I had a ICD implanted 11-2-2015, I have a congential electrical issue that has caused cardiomyopathy, and my cardiologist decided that I should have an ICD. I was frightened too, but the surgery is not bad,, and I was in the hospital only for overnight, the worst part was laying in bed for 12 hours trying to be still, When the ICD was checked in the morning, and xray was completed, I was released, I didnt have any pain, was a little strange sleeping on my back for a week or two, but then slept on my side and didnt have any problems. You just stay positive and be thankful for the technology that will keep your heart beating, Prayers for you.

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I have had my pacer since 2005. At first it ruled my life. It took some time to calm down and make the mental adjustment. I had trouble sleeping and I worried a lot about pulling wires. Now I just live my life as I wish.