Exercise Limitations

I am scheduled for a defibrillator implant next week (Sept 21). I am 76, play tennis twice a week, and swim laps twice a week. I realize that I will have to give this up for a few weeks, but understand that I should be able to resume these activities afterward. If anyone can either affirm or disaffirm this, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Also - - - my Cardiologist says I cannot drive a car for 3 to 4 months. Is this typical?

Domer 55
BillKreps@aol.com

7 Comments

Exercise

by 8thID - 2010-09-12 08:09:03

Hello--

I have a Boston Scientific ICD. I was implanted 7/27/10. Here's how my restrictions worked: 4 weeks of no lifting of any type on my left side, no raising my left arm over my shoulder, and no pushing or pulling with my left arm. I also slept with my left arm in a sling to prevent me from raising my arm over my shoulder while asleep. I don't think that your Cardiologist is going to let you play tennis for a while--maybe 4-6 weeks. I was jogging at about 2 weeks. As far as driving, I was given no restrictions on driving at all. I hope this helps. And I hope all goes well with your surgery. Take care!

Jeff

Getting A Defibrillator

by SMITTY - 2010-09-12 09:09:04

Hello Donner 55,

You should be able to resume all of your normal activities after a few weeks, but I have to agree with Jeff. I will be surprised if your doctor lets you play tennis in less tan 4 to 6 weeks. The de fib unit will not care and the incision site should heal well enough for you to play in less time,but since tennis can be strenuous exercise with lots of stretching, your doctor will probably use a little extra precaution to be sure your leads are firmly settled-in.

Of course the doctor will give you the final word, but I would expect you to be swimming again 2 to 3 weeks. I don't understand the severe driving restrictions, but I have a pacemaker and not a defibrillator. I was driving 48 hours after my first one and 24 hours after the second one and my age is not much different from yours, if that was a factor. I got mu first one at age 70 and the second one last Oct at age 80.

Good luck to you,

Smitty

do what ever you would like

by bphilli - 2010-09-13 02:09:14

keep reading but please dont let the title fool you... let me first start off by saying that i am only 20 years old but have had a medtronics pacer for 15 years now. I have gone through this type of surgery 3 times with replacement of the lead one extra time (because i grew out of it). through out my life i have played varsity and college ice hockey, football with my friends, and have consistently participated in really physical workouts on the side. basically i have tried every contact/ non contact sport that you could imagine. Through out my life i have taken contact to the chest and have stretched my arms in every way possible with no ill side effects. however this is because i let myself heal after each surgery. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO GIVE YOUR BODY TIME TO BUILD UP SCAR TISSUE. as a swimmer especially it is important to make sure your leads have had time to settle in. the amount of movement in your pectoral muscles exert during swimming is definitely enough to move the lead right out of place if you havnt given it enough time to scar over. Even as a younger person i was told by the leading cardiologist at the Boston Medical Center to wait 6 weeks for my lead to heal before i even started riding my bike (most likely in concern of falling). my point here is that i heal at a rate that almost doubles someone of your age. before swimming or playing tennis i would personally give it 2 months to heal correctly. But hey whats a couple of months compared to having to go through surgery again right?its always better to be safe then extremely sorry.

Exercise

by biker72 - 2010-09-13 06:09:32

I think the key is letting the incision heal and give the leads a little time to settle in.

I drove myself home from the hospital. The only precautions I had were no contact sports ever and no heavy lifting for a couple of weeks.

Hello Domer 55

by Edouard - 2010-09-13 10:09:08

I don't play tennis, but I do swim - vigorously, so I hope I can answer a few of your questions.
First of all, my situation: I had a Soren Rely implant on May 25 2010 at age 58, after a syncope during which I busted my face and ribs pretty badly. I swim with the (Quebec Provincial Champions) Westmount YMCA Masters team.
1) Tennis and swimming
Both these exercises require vigorous arm movements and the doctors are naturally worried that the patient will dislodge the leads. When I was admitted, it was at the beginning of a long weekend, so I had plenty of time to inform the doctors, nurses, orderlies, cleaning staff, food staff, and just about anyone else about my swimming and my desire to maintain this activity. The EP on duty assured me that some models were quite well suited for this and that there should be no problem. Of course, when I met my surgeon, a young girl just out of kindergarden, about 20 minutes before the operation, she basically told me that I should kiss my swimming goodbye. I did not react well. Even though it's not a good idea to fight with you surgeon just before the operation I insisted she check with her supervisor. She did so, reluctantly, and came back to inform me that she would do a cephalic vein insersion rather than the usual sub-clavian entry. After the operation, I had to be careful not to raise my arm over my head for a week. I was also beached (no swimming) for 6 weeks. I am now back in the water and swimming 12 - 18 km per week.
2) Driving
I was told not to drive for two weeks. I believe that this restriction was more due to Quebec driving laws than to any medical reason, becaause I felt fine within a few days after the operation.
I hope this helps you. Again: discuss with your doctor whether the type of machine and the insersion method is appropriate for your type of activity.
Best wishes and good luck
Edouard

Thanks

by Domer 55 - 2010-09-14 04:09:53

Thanks to all of you who have passed on your experiences and recommendations. Very helpful, and have guided my further evaluation and discussion with medical personnel. I appreciate your taking the time to share.

Domer 55

Defib and PM Implant

by cruz - 2010-09-14 11:09:28

The driving restrictions may have more to do with the defib portion of the device. There are some restrictions on driving because of the fact that a defib can go off and it's quite a kick from what I'm told. I'm fortunate that mine has never "activated" but I know that I worry about this happening while I'm driving. I have the defib/pm and there were restrictions on driving because of the defib function. The defib is a safety net if your heart should stop. It's a tiny little device, but performs the function similar to the paddles you see on the TV when the heart stops. People with a defib have job and driving restrictions people with a PM don't. People with a defib cannot drive for a commerical truck line because of the liability. Swimming and tennis greatly stretch the arm. I had restrictions for 8 weeks. Your best bet is to check with the doctor since the restrictions may apply because of the 3-lead device rather than just the PM. Heck, I'm just impressed that you are swimming and playing tennis!!! Good for you and I hope your doctor is able to work with you on this. Use caution and be patient, especially while the leads are bonding. This is a critical time and no one wants to have the procedure repeated. Give yourself some time to heal. You'll live without swimming for a few weeks or even several weeks. Without the device, you might never be able to safely enjoy these sports.

You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker interferes with your electronic scale.

Member Quotes

A lot of people are and live normal lives with no problems whatsoever.