replacement issues

thanks! Actually seeing the wound nurse weekly, surgeon saw it wk one but hes a man of few words..i dont know if its under the skin... they used same incision so i assume same pocket, would they go under skin in same incision if it was under muscle b4???
I have a recalled medtronic lead, my pm is a biventricular , and going into surgery thought they were replacing pm and lead but post surgery was told did not replace lead. because I am 48 yrs .. surgeon said even though its not functioning 100% causing high drain on the battery, he feels due to my age, I am better off replacing pm every 3-4 yrs verses changing out the lead because i hopfully have alot of yrs & will need leads down the road. he said there is only so much room in my chest and extraction is dangerous so i souldnt have the leads replaced until absolutely necessary. he said if i was 20 yrs older he would have changed the lead.... does that sound crazy???

2 Comments

not crazy

by Tracey_E - 2009-02-20 08:02:49

I've got an bad lead also. It is stable and functioning but kills my batteries quickly. My doctors left it up to me, I chose to keep the bad lead as long as I can. I'm 42 now, the lead has been bad for 5 or 6 yrs now. I'd rather not build up more leads in there until I have to, am hoping the technology to remove them just gets better and better while I stall, lol. And battery changes are a lot easier than lead changes.

it justs keeps getting worse

by skye - 2009-02-21 07:02:04

woke up fri with readness and warmth over pm area... white fishline like stitches across entire wound and hole in middle if incision... Dr worried about pocket infection.. back on antibiotic for 2nd time in just 4 wks with the threat of hospitaliztion for iv vanomyicin if not improved! I'd like to feel better already!!!
how many battery changes have you had? any issues with pocket or incision?

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