new pacemaker very visible

I had surgery on September 20, 2019 to replace my almost 11 year old pacemaker.  I have a Medtronic Azure now.  My first packemaker was barely noticeable under my shirt.  This new one seems to stick out a lot further than the old one.

Normally this is wouldn't bother me, but it really is right now.  Will this get better in time, being I'm only 10 days post surgery?  I was surprised that this newer pacemaker was a lot larger than the old one.

2 Comments

Larger Device

by Grateful Heart - 2019-09-30 11:29:03

I received a replacement last year for a CRT-D and it was larger than the first one I got 10 years prior.  My first one stuck out and the EP had to make the pocket larger for the new one because it wouldn't fit. 

The new one sticks out too but it is sunk lower than the first.  I am not a small person so that debunks that theory.

With only 10 days out....you may see some improvement when the swelling goes down.

Grateful Heart 

normally smaller

by dwelch - 2019-10-14 00:29:06

Normally they get smaller every generation, my first one was HUGE compared to today and I was skinny then and it stuck way out.  If nothing changes from brand to type, etc it should just keep getting smaller due to better tech.  (okay because the connector can dominate the size, like thumb drives there is a minimum limit which we may have already hit for single or dual lead).  If you change from a dual to three lead or from a pacer to an ICD, then it will be larger than the last one.  But it could even be a brand change, from one brand to another, that could result in a size change.

Also there is swelling that does go down.

Ask your doc they should have specs, or if you know the exact models of the prior and current the website may include dimensions.

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