Moving the Implant

Never fear dislodging

by Gotrhythm - 2018-08-04 16:20:41

"I am afraid to go back to grappling for fear of dislodging it"

Set your mind at rest. After a year and a half you need have no fear that the device is going anywhere, no matter how vigorous the grappling.

The real problem is that a blow directly on the pacemaker will hurt, bad. The good news is that  it will only hurt you. It won't damage the pacemaker at all.

Tracey can tell you what having the pacemaker implanted sub pectorally is like.

You can ask...

by AgentX86 - 2018-08-04 21:15:27

...but I don't think placing it under the muscle will help.  A direct strike is still going to hurt.  As Gotrhythm says, you're not going to hurt the pacemaker but you could be a hurtin' pup for a while.  You might find that your insurance won't cover the surgery, either (elective).

A better solution may be to ue a pacemaker shield.  If you click on the SHOP=>AFFILIATES tabs (above) you'll find a number of products aimed at the needs of this group. Or go to <https://www.vitalbeat.me/home/>.

It would be good to do business with these companies, too, and help pay for this forum.  ;-)

repositioning

by Tracey_E - 2018-08-05 10:18:36

As Gotrhythm said, you aren't going to dislodge anything at this point so the risk is a direct hit which hurts like heck. The pacer is metal so you won't hurt it but we aren't quite so tough.

Depending on your build they may or may not be able to get it deep enough that you could do competitive martial arts. That's one of the very few things most doctors agree we should avoid. Talk to your doctor, and you also might want a consult with a plastic surgeon. EP's tend to focus on the heart and don't worry too much about where they put the box. Plastic surgeons are good at making it look and feel good. The perfect combination is when they work together. 

My first 4 were under the breast, I could barely feel the edges when I poked around looking for it. When I got my last one, it was a new surgeon who didn't like it being so deep. It was stuck and they had trouble getting it out, so they moved it to under the pectoral. I do what I want and don't hold back- weight lifting, kayaking, pull ups- it doesn't get in the way however, I caught the edge of it when scaling a wall during a Spartan race back in January and it's just now settling down months later. Ouch, ouch, ouch. If it had been in the old spot, it never would have happened.  

I've talked to my doctor about repositioning. My insurance will cover it and my doctor is willing to do it, so it's up to me to decide if I want to mess with it or not. I still haven't decided. We met our deductible for the year so if i do it, it'll be before the end of the year when it won't cost me anything. It's sticking out more now than it was before I caught the edge and I loosened it enough that it shifts when I sleep on my side now. It doesn't hurt but it's annoying as heck and I have 10+ years of battery life left so that's a long time to be annoyed.