I have heard about the leads dislodging so will pulling down
some (hard to pull) seat belts affect the leads, pulling on them too much?

ECB

 

 

Good question, but No, the seat belt will not dislodge your leads.

The connector end of the leads plug into a header at the top of the Pacer, ICD or CRT, and are attached by sockets and fastened by set screws. Almost exclusively when you hear about leads dislodging it's from the other end inside your heart. That end of the leads are either barbed (like a classic ship anchor) or helix design. They are embedded into the heart wall from the inside. Over time, scar tissue forms over the interface in the heart causing the leads to become somewhat permanently affixed and creating a solid electrical interface. Until the scar tissue forms, in approximately 4-6 weeks, the leads are susceptible to dislodging from the heart wall which is why the doctors recommend you keep your arm below shoulder level for the first few weeks after implant.