When to be worried about swelling?

Just had a question about the swelling of my pacemaker insertion site. I'm almost two weeks out of surgery for the placement of my new CRT-P pacemaker and it is still swollen up pretty significantly. When should the swelling start to go down? It is still so swollen I can barely even feel where the pacemaker itself is at. It's that normal? How long does it take for swelling to go down? 

3 Comments

healing

by Tracey_E - 2017-10-12 09:12:33

It can take a month or two for the swelling to go down. Ice will help. 

It's only time to worry if it gets worse, if it starts to ooze, gets hot to the touch, red streaks, or you get a fever. Those are all signs of infection. 

After one of my replacements it was still a little swollen two months later. They told me to use a heating pad on low for 15 minutes. Did that twice and the swelling was gone. 

Thanks for the comments

by tdm5032c - 2017-10-12 13:38:13

I appreciate the comments on the healing time. I was VERY good and followed the doctors direction not to touch it or get it wet for the first week. Beyond that, he told me there were no restrictions at all. He even would have cleared me to go back to work after that first week if I worked a different type of job. Work my job, I have to wear a full body climbing harness, and it would not feel very good as long as it is swollen up. That's the main reason I was asking how long it has taken others for the swelling to go down. Thanks again for the input.

 

Healing

by Donnap - 2017-10-19 05:40:36

Hi, I had my pm fitted for weeks ago today, I'm slim, 50 and short but I've struggled following insertion. I'm a brave person who is quite tough but my site has been really swollen until about 5 days ago when it seems to have sunk down a lot. I had my pm check on Monday and they said in view of my build it would probably always protroud but it's my badge of honour really so don't mind. I think everyone heals, copes, recovers differently but all get there in the end.

take care

Donna xx

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