help, I've been told I need a pacemaker

[bl95]

I am 30 days post op from AVR. I've had a fairly smooth recovery until the last few days. I noticed that I started to get short of breath on trips up and down the stairs and also on my daily walks. Had blood pressure/ pulse checked after walk and found that my pulse had dropped to 53. My avg since surgery was in the 90's. Went to see cardiologist yesterday and found that I have a 2 to 1 heart block. They want to do a pacemaker next week. Today I have felt just fine and spent the day out and about. Pulse has been 86. Trying to take one day at a time but unsure of what to do. Doc said this won't correct itself. I'd kinda like to wear a heart monitor for a couple of days just to see what is happening. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[Susan BAV]

Welcome to the site; glad you found it.

I haven't had a pacemaker. There are many here who have though.

Not very many members seem to be on the site right now. So, tomorrow, if you haven't gotten any reply, just add another post to this one to bump the thread up to the top so others will be more certain to notice it and reply.

Hope all goes well for you.

 

[bl95]

help, I've been told I need a pacemaker

Susan: Thank you for your advice and well wishes.

 

[Gnusgal]

I have had a pacemaker since I was 7 years old. So I can't really tell you much about the initial "getting" of a pacemaker (I barely remember it). However, if you have questions about living with a pacemaker, I'm your gal!

I agree, though, that you should see about doing a 24 hour or event monitor if you feel uncomfortable with the suggestion. However, don't be surprised if it comes back with the same results. Just because you have one good day doesn't mean you won't have more bad days later. I find that seems to be the case with a lot of stuff.

Good luck and let us know how things go!

 

[WayneGM]

Welcome to VR. Glad you found us. I can't offer any experience with the pacemaker, but wanted to welcome you and wish you good luck.

 

[MNmom]

Welcome. I was told by my cardiologist that heart blocks following AVR is more common than I thought. I had a pacemaker put in 6 days after my second AVR with root and arch replacement. The bottom chamber was not keeping up with the top. So now, nearly 2.5 months later, it is pacing away 99 percent of the time, last I checked.
It was hard to deal with mentally, more than physically. I was not going to the hospital for that, afterall, just for the AVR. The procedure itself is pretty minor in comparison to what you have just had done. They kept me awake, and put a sheet around it like a c-section and talked to me- I didnt feel a thing, and I think I was in a foggy state of mind- sedation. The recovery is odd- you cant lift your arm over your shoulder for a month, to secure the leads.
Another thing i didnt realize about he pacemaker until it happened- it is RIGHT under the skin- so I can feel it - I thought it would go down like the swelling around my sternum did, but no- that is not swelling- its the pacemaker.
Best of luck to you- its really not as bad physically as you are probably fearing.
Ingrid

 

[Okielady]

Sorry you are having to deal with the pacemaker now so soon after your surgery. If you have to get one, though, it isn't a bad deal to live with. I have had mine for 4 years, got it when I was 48. Now I am scheduled for the mitral valve surgery at the end of this month. They discovered my valve leakage at the time of my heart rhythm problems and have just been watching it since and it has progressively gotten worse. I am glad that I have it now since I have read that heart rhythm problems are pretty common after surgery. It will take a few months to recover from the pacemaker surgery but it is nothing huge like what you have just been through. There will be some soreness and you will have to watch it for a few weeks and won't be able to raise your arm or lift anything heavy. They want those wires to get good and seated in there and not pull loose. The longer that time has gone on the less of a "bump" that I have on my chest. I have to kind of feel around now to even know exactly where it is. You can get it tested over the telephone every 3 months, it only takes about 5 minutes and then I go in every 6 months to have a technician check it with a machine. The battery life is around 8 to 10 years and it is a minor surgery to have that replaced when necessary.
I hope you continue to do well and things work out well for you. Take care. Post if you have any more concerns or questions.

 

[Janjean]

I had avr on July 23. after 2 days normal recovery in hosp. my heart rate dropped dangerously low and they put me on an external pacer. I was not wanting a pacemaker as it just didn't go with my plans. The surgeon and the cardiologist gave me several days in the hospital to see if it would correct...it did not and finally with heart block they put the pacemaker in.

The procedure was not difficult. The incision is very small and I can't really notice a bump. They think my heart rhythm will improve over time but in the meantime, the pacemaker will keep things running smoothly.

i am okay with it now, just took a mind adjustment. Can't use arm much for a while, but not particularly painful. My sternum is still healing from the avr.

Aren't we lucky to live in a time when all of these things are possible.

Best of luck to you. jan

 

[Blnmakerr]

I was lucky I guess, I had a pacemaker implanted six months prior to BAV replacement surgery at The Cleveland Clinic. I also was diagnosed with type II AV heart block however when the BAV surgery was done the surgeon (Dr. Svensson) found a "shelf of calcium" just below the AV node and removed it. The removal of the calcium cured the heart block. I was told the calcium shelf was blocking the electrical signal from the AV node.

Even though I no longer require the pacemaker, I still have it but it is basically doing nothing but acting as a backup, just in case it is needed. Hope this info helps. Pacemakers are not all that difficult to learn to "live with".......

 

[Snoviper]

I just had my tricuspid valve replaced and ended up with heart block so they needed to put a pacemaker in, I had the valve surgery on 7/30 and the pacemaker on 8/1. It did seem scary but with the jumps in technology the pacemaker is one thing that can gain from advancement. It seems with the newer technology there is not a a lot that it can keep you from doing. The most I could see was not to stand next to any big magnets and chainsaws

 

[Lotti]

Pm

Pm

Hi there.

I had my PM put in 2 weeks after AV replacement. My heart was so badly damaged that the surgeons cut the electrical pathway when they cut all the bad calcified tissue away.
My veins are really small and the op to put it in was long. I can feel/see mine as I am skinny.
I have fulll movement and do anything I want. (Tae Kwondo included).
I have had mine for 2 1/2 years already and still have just over 12 years left on the battery.
From the other point of view...before surgery I was passing out regularly from my heart stopping or going really low. This was NOT fun, and has completely stopped since PM insertion.
Don't worry about having to have one. Life is pretty normal once you've physically recovered.

Hope it all goes well

Lotti

 

[bl95]

help, I've been told that I need a pacemaker

help, I've been told that I need a pacemaker

Thank you all for the wonderful advice that I received regarding the pacemaker. I am going to get hooked up to a 24 hour heart monitor this afternoon. This is just for my piece of mind. I am scheduled for the pacemaker on Monday, August 18th. Thanks again. I'll be sure to post once I am back home. -

 

[Snoviper]

I found a website for Pacemaker info for anyone interested.

http://www.pacemakerclub.com

 

[bl95]

website for pacemakers

website for pacemakers

Snoviper: Great website that you found. Thanks so much for the post.