Reposition pacemaker

Hello. Has anyone experienced a slipped pacemaker and had to have it repositioned to underneath the pectoral muscle? It's been almost 6 months from the original  implant and at the 4th month the device slid downwards and also outwards.  Doctor says this sometimes happens......


6 Comments

Same thing here!!

by mefleming95 - 2016-12-16 03:19:13

Hello! I had mine slip do the same exact thing! the skin pocket didn't hold & so my pacemaker is basically free to move where ever it wants.  But I finally found a doctor willing to fix it and that's what they are doing to me! I go in Jan 12 to find out when there doing there surgery.  I've been dealing with this for 2 years and it has been miserable.  Get it taken care of as fast as you can because the discomfort and pain doesn't get better or dull ithe gets worse! Good luck!

Reply to mefleming95

by Heartfelt - 2016-12-16 03:32:32

Yes, thank you.  I am scheduling the procedure for early February or sooner. Hard to know if the skin redness is coming from the rubbing of clothing from the outside or if the redness is from an infection beneath. 

Do you know anything about recovery time since the muscle will now be affected??

recovery and redness

by Tracey_E - 2016-12-16 09:36:55

If they open it and find infection, no surgeon is going to put it right back in so you want to eliminate the possiblity of infection now! If it is infected, they will try to treat it as is with the pacer in place. If that doesn't work or there is a risk of the infection spreading to the leads (and then into the heart), they'll remove everything, wait for it to heal, then place it again. 

I'm on my 5th. First 4 were under the breast, this last time they moved it to under the pectoral. Everyone is different in their build and tolerance for pain, and surgeons vary in exactly how they place it so no two stories are alike. For me, the pain wasn't that bad but it lingered for a while. I got by on tylenol other than at bedtime, nothing after the first week unless I'd overdone it. I was pretty sore for the first week, after that I was back to my usual schedule but moving carefully. It took about 3 months before I could sleep however I wanted, bend and twist without feeling a twinge/pull, do my full workout routine without feeling it. I don't mean I was in pain for 3 months, just that's how long before I could do whatever I wanted and never felt it. Once it healed fully, I didn't even know it was there. 

IF

by Cabg Patch - 2016-12-16 11:39:11

If your devices truly have "SLIPPED" ie out of position, then you are all overlooking a simple fact...your EP screwed up! There is a hole in the device specifically for it to be sutured in place on one end. This allows the device to move slightly but not out of position and cause undue damage and pain.

My advice find another EP. Oh and before you spew forth your EP's accolated, my world renowned EP damn near killed me. Your choice.

Reply to

by Heartfelt - 2016-12-16 15:42:53

T

reply to Angry Sparrow and Cabg Patch

by Heartfelt - 2016-12-16 15:47:47

I have a new EP, of course!!  The first one perforated the atria artery causing pericardial effusion, then cardiac tamponade. Four hours later I had open heart surgery to close the tear and drain my heart sack.  4 days with drainage wires in the ICU, finally went home after a week. Still alive, yes. NYC hospital. 

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