Recovery after pacemaker battery replacement

recovery

by hopefulhearted - 2018-09-07 07:32:21

I was up and walking fairly easily the next day.  I have an office job.  Doctor told me that I should take 3-4 days off.  I decided to take 10 days off, more for the mental health part.

Practically no pain, just discomfort especially sleeping, but each day it got much better.

Everyone is different but...

by atiras - 2018-09-07 07:43:45

Everybody is different, especially mentally.  However, my pacemaker was put in late morning on Wednesday just gone (two days ago); I was up and walking after 30 minutes, going home after an hour, and haven't spent any time on bed-rest.  Some discomfort -- nothing paracetamol isn't handling -- and I was back on my computer by 1700 on the day of the op. I can't drive for a week, and lifting and stretching isnt allowed but otherwise (if I was still working) I'd expect to be back at work for an office job on Monday.

My understanding (no expert) is that you're much more likely to have conscious sedation than a general anaesthetic -- if for some reason you do have a general, recovery will take longer.

replacements

by Tracey_E - 2018-09-07 08:52:09

I'm on #5. I was on my feet and getting dressed as soon as I was out of recovery for my last one, we stopped for lunch on the way home then I answered some work emails before taking a nap. I left for vacation less than a week after the one before that.

They usually use conscious sedation and a local, not a general, so you'll be alert as soon as they stop the meds. No side effects, no lingering grogginess.

They go in the same place so it's all scar tissue, nowhere near the pain level of the first one. Most of the restrictions the first time were the new leads. As long as your leads are good, you should have very minimal soreness and the only restriction will be taking care of the incision. If you have it done on a Friday, no reason you can't go back to work on Monday. The only reason you might want off a few days is lack of sleep because it might be hard to find a comfortable position. 

pretty quick

by dwelch - 2018-09-11 01:15:15

TraceyE always has good advice.  I dont know if friday to monday is true for everyone, though but you have been through the tough first implant already so you know you can get through this one no problem. 

I am also on number five, was ready to go back to work that quickly but took a couple more days off.  I think mine was on a wednesday maybe and was ready to go friday, but waited until monday.

It is interesting that we do somewhat remember the prior recoveries but we forget a lot too.  I would say that you would find bedrest more painful that sitting in a chair.  Day one sucks no easy way to put it.  Dont think I slept, but I was in the hospital, I somewhat insisted.  My first docs rule at the time was new lead you spend the night.  For the fifth one I went from a two lead to a three lead so I stayed the night, got my IV with antibiotic in it (every so many hours), which I wouldnt have gotten had I gone home.  Went from the bed to a chair on probably an hourly cycle that first night.  Dressed myself the next day, intersting for the first time they didnt wheelchair me downstairs.  Went home watched tv and was very likely on the computer for a few days before I went to work.

One of my replacements all I had were stick shift vehicles so that made it a bit worse as you have to use that arm/shoulder.  With an automatic you can just use the good arm.  And work was 60 miles away so that replacement was not as fun.

So long as everything goes well I would agree with TraceyE in that you should be back closer to days than weeks.  It did take me a week to sleep most of the night, sometime in the second week before I could sleep on that side again.  

You want to try to do stuff, dont keep it in a sling and immobile, try to use the computer try to go to work, just pace yourself, let the pain guide how far you can move the arm.

I wouldnt use the word mild discomfort, I dont think I took anything for the pain.  Movement will move the skin and pull on the incision and cause some pain/discomfort, take some pills as perscribed/needed/desired.  Funny things like eating, moving your head just right opening your mouth sometimes uses a muscle or pulls on the skin and you get a quicky pain jolt then its gone.  Makes me laugh more than cry, not a sadistic thing just funny how that whatever I did caused whatever that jolt, how were those two things connected.  But its gone as soon as it arrives.

Expect the first day or two to be uncomfortable, more than mild.  Then within a few days you will probably start getting ancy and want to get up and go do stuff, work or other...So do that if you think you can safely (drive or ride the subway without getting hit in the shoulder).  Remember you will probably be told you cant get the bandages wet until the steri-strips fall off.  So your cleanliness may affect how quickly you get back to it.  Before the replacement get some tape the medical kind or duct if you are hard core, some plastic bags do well as a barrier.  I would tape the plastic bag over the area, couple of layers of tape and could then shower.  Dont remember how long I had to do that, seemed like just a few days...

new scars

by dwelch - 2018-09-11 01:45:07

Forgot to mention, from moving and insurance companies for the five pacers I have had either three or four surgeons, I never met the surgeon on number four, I think it was the same one as number five.  Not that each doc chose to start somewhere else I think they used the same place for the first three then the fourth one was this wee bitty thing so tiny compared to my others and put it in lower, maybe to sit in the buttom of the big pocket.  Then number five is a three lead biventrical so bigger battery as it has to drive both V leads all the time (complete heart block) so this one is a bit bigger, not as big as the first one, but bigger than number for so this scar is at an angle over the first scar.  But hey thats part of the fun right?  You move your shirt over, they see the scar you put your fingers on either side of the device wiggle it a bit so they can see there is something in there, and enjoy their reaction the more scars the more fun.  

Or as with TraceyE they might use the same place every time.  To some extent depends on where you have it placed...

Greatful

by Derikjulian - 2018-09-14 18:07:17

reqding this makes me smile I was extremely scared for replacement I am just now becoming successful in life and was afraid to pass and leave my kids with not much but 6 figures wich between three kids in this era won’t go far . I am now motivated more than ever to eat healthy and control my destiny I’m not only business but health as much as possible . I’m loving this page 👌