Pacemaker-new implant questions!

[Mb]

Hello everyone!

My husband's cardio has now recommended that a pacemaker be installed due to his chronic a-fib not being controlled with the meds. (His heart rate goes very low, he has 2-3 second pauses, and when he walks, even slowly, his heart rate goes to 150).

A couple of questions for those of you who have pacemakers:

1. How long did they hospitalize you for? (He will need a heparin drip)
2. How long to recover from the implant?
3. Did you feel better?
4. Were there any problems post implant?
5. In general, what can we expect?
6. Did any additional leakage in the tricuspid valve area happen?

His Dr. is talking about installing the pacemaker first, and then perhaps, later, ablating.


Thanks!

Marybeth

 

[Nancy]

Hi Marybeth-

I am so glad to hear that things are moving forward with the pacemaker. Can't help you out with the hospital stay because Joe had to have a vitamin K shot prior to surgeryand that stayed in his system for a long time. It took him about 10 days to get to therapeutic levels. But when he's had a Heparin drip before, he's typically stayed 3 days prior and 3 days after.

The pocket where the pacemaker is implanted has to heal, so Wayne will have to be careful of that area for a while. No unnecessary moving, lifting, massaging the area, etc. He doesn't feel it at all either the implant site or if it ever goes off.

After getting it, he had no more periods of fainting or "sinking" as I call it.

Joe's tricuspid is leaking severely, but it's probably more from his pulmonary hypertension than from the pacemaker leads, although they might contribute somewhat.

Joe gets his checked out every 6 months, last time he had a "full tank" (battery) and hadn't used it at all in the past period of time. Prior to that he was using it about 7 percent of the time.

Pacemakers have been around for a long time and help tremendously.

Good luck!

 

[Mb]

Thank you, Nancy and Katie, for your replies.

Wayne is in chronic a-fib, and the beta blocker he takes does not adequately control the ventricular response to the atria. When the beta blocker is increased, his heart rate goes way way too low. Therefor, the theory is, install the pacemaker without ablating initially. Load him up on the beta blocker, and the pacemaker will prohibit his heart rate from lowering too much.

Katie....how low was your brady when you had the pacemaker installed?

Marybeth

 

[John & Joann]

Pacemaker

Pacemaker

Joann had her pacemaker changed this past fall at Cleveland Clinic. They will replace a pacemaker while on normal Coumadin levels. If new leads are required, they remove you until you INR number is around 1.5.

She was back to a normal life style in about 2 weeks. The original pacemaker procedure required about 4 weeks for healing, etc. She still gets pains and tissue reaction in the area.

 

[Guest]

There is one downside. You can't be late for a flight!! Surely they will think you have a bomb in there.

That would be one for a suspense movie, huh. The bomber gets the bomb implanted under the skin and has a fake medical necessity ID card. Why mess with a fuse hanging out of your shoe? Take a whole bunch of beta blocker to slow the heart rate after you get on the plane and when the pacemaker fires ...