Post op

I had a pacemaker emergency installed two days ago and came home yesterday.
All quite a shock,I feel OK,just very slightly dizzy at times,but this may be due to new medication for hypertension (Perindopril 4mg/day)
I have walked around the garden and done some light tasks,but avoided using my left arm too much.
Is it OK to walk for an hour or so tomorrow?
Also I fly privately on a JAR PPL (A) but think of changing to NPPL,has anyone here done this?

3 Comments

Welcome

by Hot Heart - 2009-03-29 02:03:18

Hi there, welcome to the club.

I had an emergency pm fitted the end of last year, yes walking is fine. Just be careful not to stretch your arm upwards for a few weeks, just until the wires have bedded in. Be careful swimming as well for a few weeks, I just used one arm at first.

No idea what you are talking about with flying, but I travelled to Portugal, Ireland and Tenerife within a month and had absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Good luck!!

Hello hotheart

by Wortwell - 2009-03-30 03:03:16

Thank you for advice,I will go for a walk this morning,sun shining and good to be alive!
The flying refers to small private light aircraft,I have a share in one and fly most weeks.
Lister

Be careful

by sand dollar - 2009-03-30 09:03:28

Hi, Be careful with what you do for 6 weeks. I had to have a wire replaced that came loose resulting in a second surgery. Do not raise you arm above your shoulder but move it, rotate gently, shrug, keep range of motion in it or it will freeze and you will have long term shoulder problems. Don't lift anything heavier than 4 or 5 pounds with your left arm too. These are all things my doctor told me. I couldn't lay on my left side for about 6 weeks as it hurt to bad and getting up was hard. It has been 3 months now and the area is still a little sore when I stretch the muscle. The pacemaker sits on the muscle so it takes time to heal inside even when the outside looks healed. Just take it easy and don't overdo. I wouldn't do any flying for 6 weeks either, with you at the controls. Commercial flying is ok as soon as you are up to it. I flew a month after mine. I walked right through the security machines with no problems, I didn't even tell them I had a pacemaker as I am not pacemaker dependent. Try to go about your normal routine but be careful of that arm. You don't want a second surgery like I had. It was back to square one.
Good luck.

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