1st day home with PM

Hi all...new here....

I just got home from my PM surgery. Diagnosed with Bradychardia...rate suddenly started dropping to below 20-30 bpm while at work....dual chamber PM only with no defib....

47 year old male, generally healthy with no previous serious medical issues.

Experiencing pretty significant pain and discomfort at surgical site on first day home. Was not given any pain meds to take...just antibiotic and told to take aspirin and otc meds for pain but that's not helping much at all. One doctor on my team said I'd be given pain meds but discharge doctor said no so I'm confused....

Curious if this is standard practice for managing post PM surgery pain or should I call and ask for better pain management? 

Thanks for feedback....


7 Comments

Pretty standard

by crustyg - 2019-10-12 09:06:37

Had mine fitted as a day case with local only (my choice) - creation of the pocket was quite painful despite the local. Home by 2PM, no meds.

Some soreness around the pocket, but lucky for me the nerve supply to the skin incision had been disrupted by the pocket creation and it's still anaesthetic.  But the local had worn off by the time of the big stitch that anchors the PM to the base of the pocket and felt all the skin sutures going in.

But never felt any need for something more powerful than otc.  In my case 'No Sense, No Feeling' perhaps.

I'm not encouraging you to start uncovering your incision - you probably can't see the wound directly, but a lot of pain *can* sometimes be a warning of infection.  Marked tenderness is also a warning sign.  My hospital went to a *lot* of trouble with MSSA/MRSA screening, body scrubs and skin prep.

Pain

by Chypes1971 - 2019-10-12 09:10:44

They doctors removed all my dressing before I left hospital. Does not appear to be any infection. Pretty clean surgery....

Just experiencing a lot of surgical site pain. Feels like deep muscle pain and discomfort especially when trying to rest or sleep.....

Opiod Crisis

by AgentX86 - 2019-10-12 09:16:51

Blame on the over-prescribing of hard core opiates. The discharge doctor doesn't want the scrutiny, so you pay with pain. To be fair, most don't have the same level of pain as you're experiencing.  I was prescribed vicodin (IIRC) and didn't take anything. Some only need OTC tylenol, or some such. You need a heavy hitter. We're different.

You should call your EP and complain about pain and ask for help. Please only take what you really need, though. The stuff is bad news.

Pain meds

by Dh13 - 2019-10-13 23:37:23

I stayed overnigh at the hospital after my surgery.  I did get pain meds that night.  But just otc once I was home.   I only needed otc for another day or so after.   It’s been 4 1/2 weeks since my surgery.   I hope you are feeling better.

number five

by dwelch - 2019-10-14 00:36:45

I am on device number five, to be fair 32 years ago was probably given something and possibly took it.    The last two or three though, other than whatever was given at the hospital didnt take anything.  I use the pain to guide me through those first days/weeks, can move my arm this much today before it hurts, next day can move it this much, and so on.

The real answer though is call the doc, pain is expected.  day one is bad enough to the point that sleeping, sitting, etc all hurt, expect little sleep, not more than short naps, etc.  Each day it gets better.  

Ice Ice Baby

by Violet West - 2019-10-14 18:29:13

I found icing it helped a great deal -- did that for a few weeks as far as I remember.  They also gave me some Tylenol with codeine which I took for a few days.  

Hope you feel better soon!

Aspirin????

by mspriss - 2019-11-20 12:25:37

If you are on blood thinners, which I assumed everyone with PM had to take......you should NEVER take aspirin! A very serious "bleed" could occur Ex......borther was hospitalized with kidney bleed after taking Pradaxa (?)   

Extra strenght Tylenol helped me Now 13 days out I haven't neded any in the last few days.  

 

 

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