Newbie

Hi All. I go for a pacemaker on 2/10 and stumbled on this club while surfing the net. I have no idea what to expect. Can someone enlighten?

2 Comments

Had mine implanted 1/30

by attybern - 2009-02-08 05:02:21

I had my PM implanted on January 30th. It really is not that bad. They don't put you to sleep just give you something to really calm you. Then they numb the area where the PM will be implanted. It is about a 2 to 3 inch incision. The whole procedure took about an hour. Once you wake up some, they will probably do a chest xray to make sure the leads are okay. Then comes the fun, you cannot use your left arm for about 6 weeks. Well, you will be able to use it some after about a couple of days, but you cannot bring your left arm (assuming they implant the PM on your left shoulder area) over your head for 6 weeks. I am told that it takes this long for the leads to really imbed themselves into your heart tissue. I am now 9 days from my surgery and am really feeling good. I have a lot more energy than I used to have and no more dizzy spells. Good luck with your surgery.

New Pacemaker

by SMITTY - 2009-02-08 06:02:13

Hello KC,

Welcome to the Pacemaker Club.

The following is a portion of an article on the whys and what fors of getting a pacemaker. It is long, but contains a lot of good information, some of which may not mean much right now, but just wait a few weeks and keep reading messages on the PM Club and things will fall in place.

Good luck with your surgery,

Smitty

What Is a Pacemaker?
A pacemaker is a small device that's placed under the skin of your chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. This device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate.
Pacemakers are used to treat heart rhythms that are too slow, fast, or irregular. These abnormal heart rhythms are called arrhythmias. Pacemakers can relieve some symptoms related to arrhythmias, such as fatigue (tiredness) and fainting. A pacemaker can help a person who has an abnormal heart rhythm resume a more active lifestyle.

How Does a Pacemaker Work?
A pacemaker consists of a battery, a computerized generator, and wires with electrodes on one end. The battery powers the generator, and a thin metal box surrounds both it and the generator. The wires connect the generator to the heart.
The pacemaker's generator sends the electrical pulses that correct or set your heart rhythm. A computer chip figures out what types of electrical pulses to send to the heart and when those pulses are needed. To do this, the computer chip uses the information it receives from the wires connected to the heart. It also may use information from sensors in the wires that detect your movement, blood temperature, breathing, or other factors that indicate your level of physical activity. That way, it can make your heart beat faster when you exercise.
The computer chip also records your heart's electrical activity and heart rhythms. Your doctor will use these recordings to set your pacemaker so it works better at making sure you have a normal heart rhythm. Your doctor can program the computer in the pacemaker without having to use needles or directly contacting the pacemaker.
The wires in your pacemaker send electrical pulses to and from your heart and the generator. Pacemakers have one to three wires that are each placed in different chambers of the heart.

The wires in a single-chamber pacemaker usually carry pulses between the right ventricle (the lower right chamber of your heart) and the generator.

The wires in a dual-chamber pacemaker carry pulses between the right atrium and the right ventricle and the generator. The pulses help coordinate the timing of these two chambers' contractions.

The wires in a triple-chamber pacemaker are used for heart muscle weakness and carry pulses between an atrium and both ventricles and the generator. The pulses help coordinate the timing of the two ventricles with each other.

Types of Pacemaker Programming
There are two main types of programming for pacemakers—demand pacing and rate-responsive pacing.

A demand pacemaker monitors your heart rhythm. It only electrically stimulates your heart if it’s beating too slow or if it misses a beat.

A rate-responsive pacemaker will speed up or slow down your heart rate depending on how active you are. To do this, the rate-responsive pacemaker monitors your sinus node rate, breathing, blood temperature, or other factors to determine your activity level. Most people who need a pacemaker to continually set the pace of their heartbeat have rate-responsive pacemakers.

What To Expect During Pacemaker Surgery
Placement of a pacemaker requires minor surgery, which is usually done in a hospital or special heart treatment laboratory. You will be given medicine right before the surgery that will help you relax and may make you fall nearly asleep. Your doctor will give you a local anesthetic so you won't feel anything in the area where he or she puts the pacemaker.
First, your doctor will place a needle in a large vein, usually near the shoulder opposite your dominant hand. The doctor will then use the needle to thread the pacemaker wires into a vein and to the correct location in your heart.
An x-ray "movie" of the wires as they pass through your vein and into your heart will help your doctor place the wires. Once the wires are in place, your doctor will make a small cut into the skin of your chest or abdomen. He or she will then slip the pacemaker generator/battery box through the cut, place it just under your skin, and connect it to the wires that lead to your heart.
Once the pacemaker is in place, your doctor will sew up the cut. The entire surgery takes a few hours.

What To Expect After Pacemaker Surgery
Expect to stay in the hospital overnight so your heartbeat can be monitored and your doctor can make sure your pacemaker is working properly. You probably will have to arrange for a ride to and from the hospital because your doctor may not want you to drive yourself.
For a few days to weeks after surgery, you may have pain, swelling, or tenderness in the area where your pacemaker was placed. The pain is usually mild and often relieved by over-the-counter medicines. Consult with your doctor before taking any pain medicines.
Your doctor also may ask you to avoid any vigorous activities and heavy lifting for about a month. Most people return to normal activities within a few days of having pacemaker surgery.

What Are the Risks of Pacemaker Surgery?
Your chance of having any problems from pacemaker surgery is less than 5 percent. These problems may include:
Swelling, bleeding, bruising, or infection in the area where the pacemaker was placed
Blood vessel or nerve damage
A collapsed lung
A bad reaction to the medicine used to make you sleep during the procedure
Infections that can become difficult to treat

Physical Activity
In most cases, having a pacemaker won't limit you from doing sports and exercise, including strenuous activities. You may need to avoid full-contact sports, such as football. Such contact could damage your pacemaker or shake loose the wires in your heart. Ask your doctor how much and what kinds of physical activity are safe for you.

Followup
Your doctor will want to check your pacemaker regularly. Over time, a pacemaker can stop working properly because:
Its wires get dislodged or broken
Its battery fails
Your heart disease progresses
Devices giving off strong electrical, magnetic, or radio waves have disrupted its electrical signaling

To check your pacemaker, your doctor may ask you to come in for an office visit several times a year. Some pacemaker functions can be checked remotely through a telephone call or a computer connection to the Internet. Your doctor also may ask you to have an EKG (electrocardiogram) to monitor changes in the electrical activity of your heart.

Battery Replacement
Pacemaker batteries last between 5 and 15 years, depending on how active the pacemaker is. Your doctor will replace the generator along with the battery before the battery begins to run down.

Replacement of the generator/battery is a less involved surgery than the original surgery to implant the pacemaker. The wires of your pacemaker also may need to be replaced eventually. Your doctor can tell you whether you need to replace your pacemaker or its wires.

You know you're wired when...

Your favorite poem is “Ode to a Cardiac Node”.

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My pacemaker has ultimately saved mine and my unborn child’s life for which I am thankful.