Pacemaker arm restriction

Temporary arm immobility

by NanTastic - 2018-09-08 15:13:23

I’ve heard several different answers about how long you should limit the use of your arm but the MedTronic rep told me it takes 6 weeks for scar tissue to form around the leads (wires).  On my 1 week check up at EP, Rep was there and said I was using my arm too much and I should wear the sling so I wouldn’t be tempted to use that left arm.  So I did for the full 6 weeks and my shoulder froze.  I’m still doing exercises to loosen it and it is a lot better, but it has been painful.  

Bottom line, ask your Dr what he recommends. I just didn’t want to risk having to have the wires replaced so soon!

best of Luck!   

just post op

by Tracey_E - 2018-09-08 15:26:34

Limits on arm movement are generally overhead and liftting only, otherwise use the arm normally so the shoulder doesn't freeze. Most don't recommend the sling after the first 24-48 hours. Restrictions are anywhere from none at all to 3 months but 4-6 weeks is most common. Once you get past the healing period, you can do what you want.

There was a study done on patients with no restrictions vs the traditional no overhead for 6 weeks. The rate of leads dislodged was the same in both groups. The leads anchor in the heart, run through the vein then out where they attach to the box. This is not tight, often there is so much slack that they coil it behind the device so if you think about it, no amount of arm or torso movement will pull on it hard enough to knock the lead loose in the heart. When they come loose, it's more likely because it wasn't in a good place or it wasn't anchored well, or sometimes the heart wall is just cranky and it doesn't stick. It's rarely anything we did.