Pacemaker incision

I was looking at the member gallery (since googling "pacemaker incision" only brings up images of the horror stories and freaks me out), and I noticed that most of the incisions/scars I saw there were horizontal or a little diagonal. Mine is full-on vertical. What direction is your incision in? Does it really matter?

7 Comments

Probably cosmetic then

by kermiehiho - 2010-12-27 04:12:13

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try asking my cardiologist, but it was probably for cosmetic reasons, then. I'm also in my 20s, and just shy of 100 lbs. Nice of him to take the consideration. :P

HUH!

by jenp65 - 2010-12-27 05:12:00

Interesting! Mine is horizontal.

also lightly tilted

by maureen.coxsey - 2010-12-27 05:12:03

Mine is from my arm pit a bit like this

They are all around the same area and some scars are very bad but most are ok, the thing to remember is, they all look bad when they are first done, once the swelling goes down (it takes about 2 months) it looks much better and after 6 to 12 months all the redness goes and its not that noticeable, I have had 3 new PM all with the same scar and I still wear strappy dresses in the summer.

If yours is vertical and you are a Lady !!! it will be so much better for strappy dresses, if your a man why not try it !! you never know what turns you on till you try it HAHAHA (hope that didn't hurt your stitches)

lightly tilted

by Daffy - 2010-12-27 05:12:21

I just looked at my incision today for the first time. It is mostly horizontal, but slightly at an angle from my shoulder toward the center. It isn't very big at all.

agelbert

by agelbert - 2010-12-27 05:12:27

You may want to talk to the EP that implanted your PM about the reason for the vertical incision. I am a male and mine is nearly horizontal (about 20 degree tilt from horizontal). I asked my EP after the operation about the procedure. The incision usually is made to facillitate the "spooning" to make the pocket for the PM. They try to avoid cutting muscle tissue as much as possible so the incision will generally run parallel to the muscle tissue which will get spooned. Look at an anatomical chest graphic and observe the direction of the muscles where you PM is located.
I hope that helps.

hiding it

by Tracey_E - 2010-12-27 07:12:51

If it was done vertically, it was probably for cosmetic reasons, to make it less obvious with strappy tops (assuming you're a woman, can't tell from your username). It's unusual but not unheard of. Mine is vertical and on my side about where the underwire of my bra hits, the pm is buried behind the breast and not visible with even the skimpiest top. My cardiologist brought in a plastic surgeon to do it this way because when I got my first pm I was in my 20's and very thin, he didn't want me self conscious about the lump/scar. Most drs are concerned only with getting it in there quickly, but more and more are taking a little bit of care to make it look and feel nice.

Horizontal

by Beckes76 - 2010-12-27 10:12:11

Both mine are horizontal. I have never heard of a vertical scar. I am proud of all the scars and I have quite a view. The only one that is vertical is the one that I got when I had Open Heart Surgery. If I knew that I could have had a vertical one I would of asked for that instead. My latest one is not that noticeable at all unless you know it is there. Good luck with everything.

Becky

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