Side sleeping and ICD movement?

I had my ICD put in 1 month ago and so far so good I think. I'm a side sleeper and I cuddle pillows to keep my body stable and I don't roll too much. The week after I had it put in I woke up to the feeling of the pacemaker feeling extra odd and when i looked down I could see it had flipped on its side, I poked it back into place and it hasn't happened again. I know that eventually the scar tissue will grow around it and hold it in place but it still continues to move a little as I side sleep. Is it normal? How long does it take to kinda "lock" into place? Do you ever feel normal again in the area that it's in? I'm new to this and I don't know anyone else with a pacemaker so I'm flying blind. Any info/experiences/tips would be appreciated! Thanks :)

2 Comments

PM Movement

by TBrous&Chip - 2017-05-18 07:24:57

To me the concern would be with lead displacement caused by the PM movement.  The farther you are post surgery the less likely you will have lead displacement.  Skin erosion could happen due to PM movement and might require a pocket revision procedure for correction.

Your initial event at one week post surgery would have caused me to contact my physician office or go to an ER immediately depending on time of the event.

At this point I would suggest discussion with your doctor's office to discuss the amount of movement to determine if it might cause skin erosion.  This is not a real common event but could cause much discomfort if it happens.

I keep the phone number of the tech in the cardiologist office in my cell phone.  She is accessible for easy questions and  has quick access to my cardiologist if needed. Having access to the tech provides quick answers to my questions without the need for appointments or an ER visit.

movement

by Tracey_E - 2017-05-18 08:21:33

There is slack in the leads so the odds of something pulling out are small however it's best to have it looked at to be sure.

It should eventually settle in and not move. That can be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to a  year, we are all different. I would avoid sleeping in a position that causes movement if you can. Can you sleep on your other side for now? 

If you see new swelling or redness, streaks, heat, if you get a random fever, those are all signs of erosion or infection and need to be seen immediately. 

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