There has been a lot of discussion about how easy it is to pull a lead loose by raising an arm too high. Today I had a chest X Ray which happened to show the leads clearly. Guess what? The leads have a complete loop in them before attaching to the heart wall. There is virtually no way I could have raised my arm enough to use up all this slack in the leads. I don't know if this is standard procedure for all cardiologists/surgeons or not.

frank

 

 

Great bit of information Frank! I think I will ask to see my xray next time I go to the doctor! This gives me renewed confidence.... cool!

Swedeheart

 

There is usually quite a bit of spare wire/lead as the EP has no idea of how long the lead needs to be. My excess wire/lead seems to be coiled up above my pacemaker just under the skin and it shows !! Cheers Peter

 

My electrical leads also have the loop of excess length. I learned about this when my PM was re-positioned 6 months after original implant and the General Surgeon who performed the re-positioning discussed with my EP whether there would be plenty of lead length to maintain a loop after she moved the PM down lower on my chest (3 inches or so) -- there's still plenty of length for that loop! I'm not sure how this does (or doesn't) alter the possibility of pulling the leads during the intial few weeks before the scar tissue in the heart muscle has firmly formed around the tips, but it certainly provides some reassurance for the long-term. My EP says this loop is standard procedure -- I'm unclear if he meant only in the U.S. or beyond. My leads are 18 and 21 inches long and it's easy to imagine the distance from the PM through the vein into the heart is not that great.
CathrynB

 

I too have several of my Xrays and there looks as tho there are at least 2 feet of extra length of leads in there, mine too are in a circle fashion...I wish I was smart enough to know how to download it to the gallery. I'll give it a try.....

Pookie

 

Frank~

Man.. that is GREAT news!! I was wondering how I have managed to continue to be pacing after wrecking my Harley... went over handlebars head first and landed on my left shoulder area. Only broke my left ankle! My leads have been tested to the fullest extent since initial implantation and ventricular lead revision! Wreck, fell out of pickup truck, dropped motorcycle at stop light and another fall on the back side. I heard someone mention that there was "slight" migration of a lead during one of the many x-rays. Yes, I'm one big accident looking for a place to happen. LOL.. story of my life... but like the energizer bunny.. I just dust the britches off and I'm good to go!

My next MD appt, I'll ask just how much rope I have to stretch out.. hehehe

Zoom.. zoom... yes I still ride my Harley.. :O)
Harley63

 

Leaving 'slack' in leads is a must at implant, however, you might be surprised how much your heart moves within your chest with positional and postural changes. Especially in larger patients, merely going from lying flat (like at implant) to standing up can pull the device down, and pull some of that slack with it. Arm motion only adds to that movement and the need for slack. The biggest risk of raising your arm overhead or behind you is in the first few weeks after implant, before the end of the wire has a chance to 'scar down' to the wall of your heart muscle. Once you are about a month past your procedure, you should be able to do anything you want.