Leads migrating into neck?

My cardiologist informed me my leads have migrated into my neck and need to be removed. I wondering if this has happened to anyone else. My Cardiologist said she's never had a patient with this issue.
Thanks

6 Comments

The bright side

by ElectricFrank - 2011-01-21 11:01:34

If the leads have migrated into your neck they at least aren't scarred into the veins to your heart. This should make them easier to remove.

For me the question isn't how they moved that far, but rather why their movement wasn't detected earlier. To move that far they would have to have detached themselves from the heart wall which would have resulted in a major change in lead impedance on your checkups. Something just doesn't make sense. Have you seen xrays showing them in your neck? It may be time for a second opinion.

frank

Is it just a loop or the whole lead?

by AmyS - 2011-01-22 08:01:05

Hi,

Just wondering if it's just a loop of the leads where they go into your sub clavian vein (there's often a little slack for movement) or if they have actually become detached and the ends that are supposed to be in your heart are in your neck. As Frank asked, did you see the xrays?

Leads migrating into the neck?

by lady4law - 2011-01-22 11:01:35

Originally (4 years ago) I had the PM implanted on the left side of my chest, the leads went from the left to the right, crossing over my chest and entering my heart.

Three years ago I was Dx with breast cancer. As it was a very rare form (TNBC, BRCA2) I had to have a lumpectomy, chemo, bilateral mastectomy, and more chemo. My Oncologist contacted my cardiologist and asked her to relocate the PM so it would be out of the way for radiation. She removed it from the left side and placed in on the right. IN order to do this, she had to add more leads and connect them with a connector box of some sort, on the left side. So the leads go from my heart to the left side of my chest and then back to the right side where the PM is now located.

Frank: I have had 7 PETs, 12 CTs, a heart CT, and over 20 x-rays. Yes these ARE the PM leads. There is a wire now in my neck, very dangerous, and annoying. I have CDs of all my scans, and anyone could see the wire.

Also, anyone can SEE the wire in my neck with the bare eye. My cardio said she's never heard of it, but checked with a special heart surgeon, only removes pacemaker and leads, he has and said it's extremely rare.
Jean

heard of it going to an arm before

by PacerSue - 2011-01-23 09:01:26

I am a nurse and I have heard of a patient coming in with a twitch in his arm and his lead had made its way there and was firing. Never heard of the neck.

'Wow

by ElectricFrank - 2011-01-23 12:01:59

You are a complicated case. Sounds like this one is their job. I can understand the cardiologist never having seen one like this before.

best of luck with it,

frank

Leads migrating into neck?

by lady4law - 2011-01-28 04:01:44

Not sure if it's firing into my neck, but I do have a very strange feeling, quite often, similar to the feeling you get during monitor check-ups, in your neck. Almost like my heart is jumping around and I can't get air.

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