Pneumothorax

Hugs

by Lavender - 2024-09-27 22:38:59

Sigh...complications can happen. So sad to hear this occurred for your hubby. If you go to the upper left search button that looks like a magnifying glass, you'll see that pneumothorax has come up here as a topic before. Others got through it but it sure sounds uncomfortable. 
 

You must be exhausted. It's always hard on the hospital visits to be with your loved one. Living in a state of fearful anticipation brings a lot of stress. Be sure to rest and be good to yourself while they're getting your husband back to good shape. 

Dear Father God, please send your healing to this man. Let his wife feel the peace that surpasses human understanding. Rain down your blessings on them. Let total recovery begin. Thank you. 

Pneumothorax as a complication of pacemaker insertion.

by Selwyn - 2024-09-28 08:05:37

There is no such thing as a completely safe surgical procedure which is why we have to sign consent forms, having been told about common mishaps. A surgeon does not have to tell you about every possible complication. 

Pneumothorax occurs in about 1% of subclavian vein cannulations ( that is where and how the pacemaker leads are placed to get into the right side of the heart). 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/civzqv70d9zgzwkpbqzik/Pacemaker-ICD-Pain-survey.pdf?rlkey=8i7sufadpkoq8ufse5pwx7ghw&dl=0

The above link takes you to the survey undertaken by club members. Page 8 mentions pneumothorax. So, to answer your question, there are club members that have sustained a pneumothorax at the time of pacemaker insertion. 

Any physical stress ( such as a pneumothorax) can trigger atrial fibrillation. We just hope that all of this settles down. The odds are favourable that there won't be any long lasting damage. The whole business is quite unpleasant as I remember having a chest drain in place. 

We have to thank the skill of the surgeon/physician that so many of us think that having a pacemaker is without problems.  The survey of our members show that a minority of us do have complications.  When we sign that consent forn, that is what we are signing up for.

A ' full' recovery should be expected though the atrial fibrillation may or may not resolve.

All is well now

by Runsalot - 2024-09-28 08:24:53

Sorry to hear about your husband. I had a pacemaker implanted last April. The next day I got a call from the cardiologist to come back for tests. Turns out my right lung had been punctured. I was immediately admitted to the hospital and was fitted with a rebreather oxygen mask and told I would be in the hospital for the next five days. During that time I was in constant AFib and my ejection fraction dropped to 44. After five days they were able to reposition the offending atrial lead and I was sent home. Thankfully I didn't have to have a chest tube inserted to clear my lungs. I am a triathlete and had to take it ez for a couple weeks while the leads scared in place. It took about six weeks for the lungs to fully heal. By June I was back to training and July I was back to racing sprint triathlons.....and I feel great accept I still go into afib about 30% of the time and my ejection fraction is still 45 but the pacer is doing its job of providing a steady ventricle beat. I am tentatively scheduled for an ablation to try and correct my afib and watchman device implant so I don't have to be on blood thinners early next year. Good luck and he is in good hands and will get thru it but it is scary while it is happening.

How is hubby?

by Lavender - 2024-09-30 18:14:40

Just checking on you two. 🦋🌻

update

by Bulltown - 2024-10-10 09:39:40

Thanks for asking.  After eight days, my husband was finally released from his ICU hospital stay.  He felt better before the pacemaker implant!  It appears the pneumothorax is healing, thank goodness.  He went in feeling good.  Come out with pacemaker, Afib again, and the pneumothorax crap.  The regular cardiologist (the guy that caused the pneumothorax) wants to do a cardioversion for the Afib.  We are going to wait and see the EP.  From now on, the EP will be the only doctor performing any procedures on my husband's heart.

Also, we will only have procedures done at a big hospital.  The pacemaker implant was done at the local, smaller hospital.  The nurses provided good care but there were no specialists available if needed.  

My husband's energy level is low.  Way lower than before all this happened!