Swelling

I had a CRT-D device implanted 3 weeks ago. Everything seems fine except for some swelling above my collar bone at the base of my neck. An ultrasound sound was done and a blood clot was ruled out. At my post op earlier this week my nurse said it may have been caused by an injury when my arm was moved during surgery. This really doesn't feel like a muscle injury. Has anyone else experienced this type of swelling after an implant? 

2 Comments

swelling

by Tracey_E - 2023-09-26 10:50:08

I had random swelling after one of my replacements. When it hadn't gone away on its own a month later, the nurse told me to use a heating pad on low. That took care of it. 

Neck Swelling after implant of pacemaker

by Selwyn - 2023-09-26 13:02:57

I am greatly relieved to hear that your ultrasound showed no signs of a blood clot in a blood vessel. It is inconceivable that there is a muscle injury in that area. The arm does not need to be put though any great motion during the implant proceedure. 

What is most likely is that there is inflammatory swelling from the messing around with the leads. There could be some blood clots in the soft tissues - this often presents as 'bruising' as the healing tracks along the tissue planes. I remember quite a lot of bruising with both of my implants.  Sometimes there is lymphatic tissue damage as there is drainage of major lymphatics in that area. Blood clotting in the soft tissue planes can last a month, depending on the size of the problem. 

Most of these problems just settle with time. If a problem is worsening I would want to be seeking further medical help. It is always possible to develop new disease in that area ( for instance, I had swelling there when I developed lymphoma), hence the advice not to ignore this if it is worsening.  I think any major problem would have been detected wtih the ultrasound though. 

If you are able to exercise the arm that should help any blood clotting and inflammatory swelling to disipate.

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