Abdomen Implant

Hello again everybody !! I survived 7weeks of Vancomycin IV treatments for lead infection after another pacemaker erosion, my 5th since 1992. As both my left & right chest area were lo longer suited for another implant I am now hosting my 6th pacemaker in my lower abdomen right side. As this is a new experience & also a very comfortable under muscle implant with leads going into my lower groin to my heart.
As I have an appointment with my surgeon later this week for interogation I would like to hear from anyone who has this same experience. My EP only said immediately prior to surgery that most of his children having this same site implant could go out & do the monkey bars the same day after implant, LOL.
As I'm a skinny person, 5'-11" and weigh 140 pounds I don't host much fat which has been a problem with past chest implants. I also am 81 years old & way too active which contibuted to implant erosion. I would appreciate any & all comments as I had an international known EP surgeon at Harper University Hospital do my pacemaker & leads removal & also Vancomycin treatment for lead infection followed with chest restoration. Thank You !!
DonB

5 Comments

Private message

by golden_snitch - 2013-07-23 02:07:28

Don,
I tried to reply to your private message, but for some reason it doesn't work. I can post comments, but no replies to private messages. So, before my reply gets lost, here it is:

Thanks a lot, Don!
I'd really like to know, if pregnancy would be a problem with this implant site.. Not that I have any plans, yet - not with replacement surgery, nor with pregnancy. But we are looking into replacing my pacemaker with a model that offers a better rate response. If I don't manage to find a new job soon, we'll use my "time off" to get this done.

I'll google your doctor, and see what he writes about abdominal implants. At the heart centre where my EP is head of the electrophysiology deparment, they also have pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, so I'm sure they'll have someone there who is experienced with abdominal implants.

So glad to hear that you are doing well now, after this long journey of having the pacemaker removed, a new one implanted, and so many weeks on IV antibiotics :)

Best wishes
Inga

Right Chest Implant

by donb - 2013-07-23 03:07:01

Inga,
I forgot to mention that I was most happy with my right chest under muscle implant in 2009. I t was by far most comfortable, no seat belt problem & for the most part I lost the feeling of having a pacemaker. I don't know if it was sutured but think it was not. I woke up one morning & found it had moved & with a lot of scar tissue building up it soon eroded.
My replacement was put in Nov 2012 without a complete revision with scar tissue left in place & eroded a few months later. I had no issue with leads across chest & removal, I haven't heard. They did find infection on tips attaching heart wall, hence Vancomycin treatment. As I'm not pacemaker dependent I was without for a month. I've been without a pacemaker years back for 60 days when my 3rd implant eroded. After that period of time my HR would drop to 20's at night. This was my 5th pacemaker & my HR again droped to 30s' afer being without for 30 days.
DonB

Hi Don

by Pookie - 2013-07-23 03:07:04

I am glad you are over your IV treatments, what a relief that would be!!!

When you're feeling up to it - I'd love to hear from you via our private email.

Your friend,
Pookie

Very interesting!

by golden_snitch - 2013-07-23 11:07:37

Hi Don!

This is very interesting for me as I'm actually considering having my next pacemaker unit implanted in my abdomen. I have epicardial leads that are tunneled from the left ventricle and atrium up to the pacer unit below my left collar bone. There are times, especially when I take a deep breath in or cough, when I can feel the leads rubbing. I hate it. I guess that not tunneling them through the whole left side of my chest, but instead placing the unit in the abdomen would help with this uncomfortable sensation. That way, the leads would go down to the unit and not up through the whole chest. They have already opened the pacer pocket on the left side six times, so there's quite a lot of scar tissue. Surgeon said that next time he might have to move the unit to the right side. I say, no way that I'm having the leads tunneled all the way to the right side (that would mean they'd have to go under the sternum).

It's encouraging to hear that you are doing fine with an abdominal implant. I have another friend who has congenital heart disease and therefore needed to have his pacemaker placed just like you have. He says his is also under the muscle.

The only thing I'd wonder in my case is that, if I should ever get pregnant, how would that affect a pacemaker placed in my abdomen? But I'll definitely ask about this placement when my next replacement comes up.

Hope your appointment goes well!
Best wishes
Inga

hey donb

by lubro - 2013-07-23 11:07:37

Just want to chime in here and wish you the best with your recovery. Positive bolts of energy headed your way from Lubro...

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

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Life does not stop with a pacemaker, even though it caught me off guard.