Pacemaker Club: Device exchange

Device exchange

by DMJ
2022-08-22 19:06:23
Batteries & Leads
576 views
4 comments

I had my Medtronic Sure Scan pacemaker/ICD replaced for battery. The EP reported something she said she has not ever seen in 20 years. My device was coated in a yellow goo inside the pocket. She sent it out for a culture. I have not been having any pain, itching or rash around pacemarker site. Has anyone on here every heard if this.I do have silicone breast implant, wondered if they may have leaked into pocket? I will forward any info to EP. She is a top doctor at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. Very good.

4 Comments

yikes

by Tracey_E - 2022-08-23 11:59:26

I never heard of anything like that. When they implant devices, some doctors use an antibiotic pouch. It's supposed to be absorbed, but I wonder if it could be remnants of that?

yellow goo

by DMJ - 2022-08-23 21:14:10

Yes, she did clean out pocket and state it didn't look like infection. She put in antibiotic pouch and we are still waiting on culture. Now my site is itching due to clear plastic bandaid patch they used to cover incision site. I have gotten blisters from these in the past. I may need to go in to doctors to get different bandage since this has to stay on until the 29th. I'm very sensitive to medications and tapes, laxex etc. It is these little things that make life hard sometimes.

ouch

by Tracey_E - 2022-08-24 09:43:24

I'd go back and let them replace the bandage, 5 more days is a long time to deal with itching.

I was saying perhaps the goo was remnants of the antibiotic pouch from the first placement. They are supposed to dissolve but perhaps it didn't. (that's just a wild guess, btw)

Yellow goo

by islandgirl - 2022-08-31 23:44:13

I had my device changed early this year and my previous device had an antibiotic pouch. My EP said he spent about an hour cleaning out the pocket and described it as a gooey mess. He said they don't use those any more.