ERI countdown

So I went to see my EP last week to check for a handful of things. They've scheduled an Echo and vascular Doppler to check for PAD. While there they said I've got about 6 months left on my device. I knew it was probably getting close. She said because I have been having a lot of symptoms lately my ERI could end up being scheduled sooner. I go back in 3 months to see where we are. I pace 37% as of now. 
 

I guess my question is what to expect? My first implant was not an easy in an out procedure. I woke up during, it wouldn't stay in the pocket, I passed out 2 hours post op and was unresponsive for 20ish min. That resulted in a 11day stay. 
 

This doc is not the same who implanted my first. She said the procedure would be easy in and out and you don't even stay over night anymore and because my leads are good it's just the battery replacement. 
 

however because I've never done anything that's not complicated, I'm a little worried it won't be so easy? 
 

I go Friday for the Echo and Doppler to see if they come up with anything about why I've been feeling so bad lately. I was also diagnosed with Seronegative Rhuematoid Arthritis last year, so knowing I've been dealing with immflamation and it can cause vascular issues is concerning. (I was told I had a severe blockage in the R leg and a moderate in the L) from the whole Blood Pressure test thing. 
 

So has anyone been down this road that hasn't had perfect implants and replacements? 

 

4 Comments

This won't help you then...

by crustyg - 2021-07-05 14:04:38

Chum of mine had his first PM box change about 10months ago and he said it hurt a *lot*.  Apparently they had to dig his box out of a lot of fibrous tissue and that left him really sore, much more so than the initial implantation.

I've assisted at operations where the patient was an obvious adhesion-former, and we spent ages dissecting off the tough scar tissue.

However, lots of folk here say that a box change is a breeze, with little discomfort.

Luck of the draw, I suppose.  Spending time thinking about what might happen is often worse than the real event, and it' something that they teach one to avoid in CBT.  Easy to say, not so easy to do, but that's the best advice I can give.  Stop torturing yourself.

But given your previous experience I know that I would be nervous.  I've learned mind tricks to avoid dwelling on an upcoming experience that's likely to be unpleasant, and they work quite well until a few hours before the event - sometimes even a few tens of minutes.  Take a friend, if possible, occupy your mind with distractions and politely ask them for a decent slug of IV pain meds.  Not the homeopathic nonsense that they try to use these days...  I too woke up during an ablation (my first) - but I made a fairly rude comment and got the additional pain relief+sedation that was needed.

Best wishes.

Any comments about bone impact, Crusty?

by Persephone - 2021-07-05 14:53:03

Not to get too far off topic here, but in addition to fibrous tissue, do you know of any concerns about the device resting on the collar bone for ~10 years or whatever the lifetime of the device is?  Is there a risk of bone growing around it?  Thanks.

No.

by crustyg - 2021-07-05 15:24:44

New bone only grows where there's no periosteum - the tough membrane (with plenty of nerve endings) - that covers bone.  (Yes, I know it's a sweeping generalisation, and like any such statement there *are* rare exceptions: one learns quite quickly that there are no Never or Always in Medicine).

But the clavicle isn't some insidious parasite growing inside you, reaching out to cover the PM with bone.

The real risk of having a PM too close to the clavicle is damage to the leads...

Thank you, Crusty

by Persephone - 2021-07-05 15:33:30

This is very helpful, although now I'm having flashbacks of Sigourney Weaver in the movie Alien :)

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