question!

Can someone tell me where the pacing leads are please? Are they left by my armpit or central behind the breasbone?

4 Comments

leads

by Tracey_E - 2009-07-10 10:07:46

Leads to from your device, wherever it is, to a vein in the upper left chest where they go into the heart. If you have a dual chamber, you will have one lead in the atria and one in the ventricle. If you can get a look at your chest xray, they pretty much glow in the dark and are impossible to miss!

PM & Lead Location

by SMITTY - 2009-07-10 10:07:59

Hello Diki,

I'm not sure what you are asking here, but it seems that you think the pacemaker leads are attached to the outside of the heart. If that is the case you may find helpful the diagram I posted in the images file this morning. (I just looked and the picture is not there yet and if it didn't make it this time I'll try again later.)

This was given to me to show me where and how my pacemaker and leads are located. Now. let me add this diagram is accurate for me as my pacemaker is located just under my collar bone. For those that have their pacemaker located in other areas of the body, I have no idea of the routes used for the leads.

For me the leads are inserted into the great vein and threaded into the atrial and the ventricle. The lead that goes to the ventricle passes through the mitral valve opening. I mention this because it is not easy to see on this diagram.

After writing the above, it seems that somewhere in the distant past I have heard of cases where the leads were place on the outside of the heart but from I understand that is rare.

Good luck,

Smitty

leads

by mandogrl - 2009-07-11 09:07:21

Hi! I asked my doctor about something I can feel (and even see under the skin) and he said that it was the excess length of lead curled up behind the pacemaker. It presses into my shoulder/clavicle area a bit, but is not bad. It just surprised me that I had extra lead in there like that. The doc got a copy of my xray out to show me where my leads go. Maybe your EP can help you understand how yours are routed on your next visit.

Thank you !

by diki - 2009-07-13 06:07:17

I am still clearly pretty ignorant about this so apologies for silly basic and obvious questions but thank you all - very helpful,

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