Lead extraction

• by maryanne
• 2009-01-04 03:01:57
• General Posting
• 1227 views
• 7 comments

Greetings.....

It's been a while since I have made a post. On December 4th 2008 I had surgery for PM and Lead extraction. The surgeon believed that I had an infection. I didn't think that was the case as I know I would have had different symptoms. My thought was that I had a lead that might be pressing up against a nerve and sending me these terrible pains up my arm, into my upper back...and directly at the PM site.

History: I have had a PM for 24 years....in 2006 I had my 4th PM implanted and a lead capped and replaced. I have had difficulties with the PM and site since then. I finally spoke with the surgeon who performed the last procedure and I asked him about lead extraction. He sent me to the specialist. I met with this doctor and he gave me his thoughts..and said it would be inevitable that I would have to have a new system and all the leads removed.....he presented me with all of the odds and information. He did inform me that there could be a chance of open heart if anything should to go wrong with the laser lead extaction....I signed the consent. I did a lot of research....got the stats...which were 89% positive for successful lead extractions....He said that he felt confident that he could get the lead of 2006 out but my lead of 1991 and 1984 might present more of a challenge. You see leads adhere to the tissue all the ways long....so what they have to do is laser at each site that the lead has adhered to. The mean for this procedure is 38 months =/- 17 months. So I knew there would be some risks involved. However, I felt confident that things would go well.

My surgery day came....I was scheduled for a 2 hour surgery...it lasted over 5 hours....while trying to laser one of the leads they nicked my aorta and I bled which necessitated a sternotomy. They were unsucessful in removing all three leads....I was informed that my original lead of 1984 was wrapped around my heart and in order to get it removed they would have to disect my heart....well obviously they didn't do that....so after it was all said and done I ended up with my PM from my original site(which was on my right) being removed and 2 of the leads, a sternotomy, and a new PM implant on my left, I spent 5 days in the hospital.....my chest looks like a very bad Van Gough painting.

Since my procedure I have done further research on the success rates and complications of lead extractions....based on what happened to me I would fall into the 0.4% rate for failed extractions and complicaitons. Just my luck. The success rate is as high as 89%. I fall into a unique catergory due to my sex, age, and complicaiton. The mean age is 62+/- 12 years, male and the complication.

So at the end of the day I have to ask myself was it all really worth it.....I'm not sure it was. I certainly need my PM....without it I go into a 3 degree AVB also known as complete heart block....but could I have lived with the discomfort over what I have to deal with now. I am only 47 years old I am now on my 5th PM....I know that I will have to have more PM replacements before I leave this planet....but did I need the lead extraction? For that I am not sure.....I didn't have an infection...he told me my leads were all twisted and were in fact pressing up against a nerve.....I can't help but wonder if there could have been something else that they could have done instead?

I have been walking every day....I still tire easily....I still need help getting my jackets on and many things are still uncomfortable for me....I am optomistic that because I was in fairly good health prior to my surgery that I will make a complete recovery...it just is taking longer than I had anticipated....and for that I am sad.