Swelling at pacemaker site

I've noticed some swelling at my pacemaker site and that I can feel my pacemaker a little more than before..I don't have any other symptoms of infection, I don't think.. I have had some other issues that I don't think are related such as breast pain (appt tomorrow), and neck and upper back pain (working on in physical therapy).. I have an appt today for a stress test but I'm wondering if I should go thru with it or ask to see my doctor instead to get him to check my pacemaker site..I know it probably sounds like I'm making excuses to avoid this stress test since I've already shared I'm pretty scared of it but I really am concerned about this swelling as well.. I've been putting it off hoping it's nothing and would go away but it hasn't so now I'm worried..I did show it to my pcp and he said it looked fine but I'm not sure I trust his opinion.. What do you guys think?

2 Comments

re: also swelling

by bionicgirl - 2018-03-20 07:46:46

Hi there...

I also have some swelling in my pacemaker site. Couple of days ago when I see my surgeon, he said that we have to relocate the pacemaker :(

But my cardiologist said that I needed to eat some antibiotic and pain killers first to see whether the swelling will go down.

 

Well it's couple of days later without me feel pain or swelling, but after I went out today...the pain is coming back :(  and tomorrow i have to go to the doctor again :( :(

 

I really don't know whether I can go through another heart operation again for the third times :(

 

Swelling at pacemaker site

by trs34577 - 2018-03-20 09:27:21

I understand.. I've had two open heart surgeries myself.. on the second one they took my pacemaker out of the left side and put one back on the right. After that surgery the left site where there was no pacemaker anymore was swollen.. They wanted to open it back up to make sure there wasn't any infection. They did a sonogram and cat scan and it didn't look like infection so I refused the operation... Like you I didn't think I could go thru another operation at that point.. fortunately I was right and it was fine.. Now the swelling I was talking about here was act the site where I do have a pacemaker now.. my cardiologist looked at it and said it doesn't look infected but just looks like it's moved a little and that's why I can see it more but he ordered tests to be sure.. Again I had a sono and cat scan and everything looks fine..but if they had told me it was infected and they needed to remove it I'd be terrified to have another surgery but I Would Do it.. I've gone thru so much to be infection free that I'm not going to let a Pace maker infection kill me if it can be fixed.. And remember the pacemaker surgery doesn't require them to do open heart surgery.. It's a lot simpler than that..

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