Can they easily be dislodged?...

Hi there,

I am 18 and a Senior in High School.  I had my PM implanted on March 28, 2012; so approximately 5 weeks ago.  My pacemaker guy told me to wait 3-4 weeks before I move my arm above shoulder level (90 degrees) but my electrophysiologist, who did the surgery, told me to wait 6 weeks before I moved it. 

I am in my show choir and my last choir concert is tomorrow.  Earlier this week I started dancing again even though it hasn’t been 6 weeks (it was only 5 weeks when I started dancing again). The past few days I have noticed short sharp pains in the left side of my chest (only a few a day).  Now I’m sure that it’s just my head psyching myself out thinking I pulled the leads out, but I’m nervous that I might have.  Any way to know if I did???  Or do you think they did (I seriously don’t think they did, just the anxiety of it all).

10 Comments

Dislodged leads

by Pookie - 2012-05-03 09:05:20

The chances of you pulling your leads out after 5 weeks of recovery are very slim, however, anything is possible. With that being said, you would know if you did because you would feel the way you did prior to having the pacemaker...that's one possibility. Another way to find out is to go in and have your pacemaker interrogated.

I'm sure by not moving your arm much in the last 5 weeks and now doing so, well, you're bound to feel something:)

Yup, the anxiety of it all can sometimes play tricks on us.

For peace of mind - ask for your pacemaker to be interrogated.

Take care,
Pookie

Sharp Pains

by Many Blessings - 2012-05-03 09:05:37

You might want to check with your doctor to see what it could be, but I had a CRT/PM implanted 2 weeks ago. I too, get sharp pains both in my chest area and PM site several times a day, sometimes more.

My EP & cardiologists told me this would happen for the first 6 weeks or so, so I didn't call them about it. If yours did dislodge, it would probably show in a chest Xray if you're nervous about it.

Maybe some of the veteran PM'ers out there can give you some better advice, but I think the sharp pains are probably a normal part of the healing process.

Good luck to you!

pullout

by truckerbob - 2012-05-03 09:05:48

I am right at 8 weeks and my surgeon said that was the time leangth of the keeping the arm down.although I have heard of others sying 6 wks I had pain twinges like those described also but now they have virtually stopped be patient and follow Doctors orders these things are great but why chance problems.

Hmmm - a teenager who will...

by donr - 2012-05-03 10:05:38

...live forever!

You have already answered part of your question - you have waited the requisite 5 weeks the first Doc gave you. Now suppose that you had never heard the second Doc - you'd be home free! What you have learned from this is that all Doc's are as different as the patients they treat. 5,6,7,8,9 weeks somewhere in there is the magic answer. None of them - or us - know where it lies - again because we all heal at different rates.

Considering that you are still young &plan to live forever, you still heal quite fast - compared to me (76 yrs old this yr), so, contrary to my usual crabby nature & desire to put young whippersnappers in their proper place, I'm going to tell you that you are feeling pangs of guilt piled atop & initiated by some minor pains brought on by lack of movement for 5 (or is it 6) weeks.

Now - have you seen an X-ray of your cest post-op? I'l give you a review of it, just like Michael Medved would a movie. "It looks like an explosion took place in a junkyard."

You have the image of the PM & a mileormore of wires leading from the PM into the sub-Clavian vein thence down into your heart. There is most likely a coil of wire between the Pm & the vein. The vein now has most likely formed a nice little pile of scar tissue where the leads go into the vein, making them quite secure, thank you! If it hasn't, you would be oozing blood slowly out into the body cavity & you would have a big, hot, swollen spot there & leading down into your PM pocket.

The leads are embedded in the wall of your heart just like Capt Ahab's hapoon was embedded in the side of Moby Dick, the Great White Whale. If they are properly embedded, they are NOT going to pull out via a tug on the leads in your shoulder!

OK, lad, what Pookie told you is 1000% correct. Pangs of guilt will make you feel what you fear most!

Go ask forgiveness - you should get it. I promise you, to have asked permission in advance would have been a waste of time. No sawbones in his right mind woud give it to you; shoud anything have gone wrong, he'd have been running around neked from the waist down - you'd have sued the pants off him.

Don

Sharp pains

by ElectricFrank - 2012-05-04 01:05:01

Hi,
I tend to think the sharp pains are from moving unused muscles in the pacermaker area. That's the downside to the thing about not raising the pacer side arm. It allows adhesion's or scare tissue to build up in the pocket where the pacer is located. When you start using a full range of motion it can tear these adhesion's loose. It's a necessary thing and shouldn't last long. I'd suggest doing some range of motion stretching each day. It's easier to do this when you don't have the demands of dancing.

One thing you have going for you at your age is that pacemaker technology is changing rapidly. I'm sure you will have a future where yo won't even know you have one.

enjoy,

frank

Thanks, Pookie

by donr - 2012-05-04 01:05:44

Everyone needs a translator sometime in life!

Without you, I would not have known what I said!

I wanted to send him a picture, but coudn't, so I sent a thousand words instead.

Think: Lobster sub...Lobster sub...Lobster sub... Getting ready to run down to Costco?

Don

Watch it Don...

by Tattoo Man - 2012-05-04 06:05:14

......there are some, out here in CyberCardio Land who think that the Don / Pookie / Costco thing is getting out of hand.

Pookie needs to be treated like a Lady...surely Mc Donalds is not beyond your suave pocket ?

Respectfully,..Tattoo Man

thanks!

by whit_midd - 2012-05-04 12:05:25

Thanks for all the advice guys! It's nice to hear from people who know what I'm going through and have had a PM long enough to know what they are talking about. I'm still getting used to it being so young and all, but it's slowly becoming part of my life more and more.
Thanks again!
Whitney

LOL

by Pookie - 2012-05-04 12:05:58

What Don meant (and I'm just ribbing you Don) is that your leads have probably not dislodged:)

Take care,
Pookie

Got it checked out!

by whit_midd - 2012-06-22 03:06:54

I forgot to post on here, since I had it checked out about a month ago...woops, that I went to the Dr. My pacemaker guy, Andy, came in and put the computer thing over it, and said it all was perfectly fine...man did I feel stupid, I was all stressed out and went into the dr for nothing! But oh well, I knew I wouldn't rest easy until I had it checked. Then my actual Dr came in and I was just like, wellp, nevermind, I'll just go home, I feel stupid now, and he said oh don't feel stupid, at least now you know for sure that you are good an d can dance and stuff as much as you want!

So anyways, moral of the story...rather safe than sorry. Haha

thanks for all the help and advice!
Best wishes,
Whitney :)

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