Lead displacement at first check of pacemaker

Oh dear,

I am upset as all was going well, wound disappearing more each day, then I had my first check yesterday after pacemaker was implanted 5 weeks ago and one of the leads has unhooked itself!

They knew this because some reading was very high compared to first check at time of implant, which would run down battery too quickly.

Doc wants to cut me up again and sort it :-(

I thought I was careful day and night, but maybe not careful enough! (difficult when you feel fine and have family and pets and job!)

Big setback especially re me not being able to drive again till another 4-6 week check (but I got them to write on pc that I was safe to drive now until I go in again within a month!)

Has anyone else gone through this? (hopefully less pain and fiddling this time)

Thanx
Julie

8 Comments

wishing you a successful procedure

by Hope - 2012-10-16 05:10:09

Do not feel your experience can be dismissed as bad luck. If it were up to luck, a lot of us with devices would not be here. Yes, there are differences in our individual vascular systems, heart conditions, etc. but our diagnosis, procedures, recovery and future health lies in the education, skill and experience of our medical care. Wishing you a less painful procedure and successful lead placement the second time around. Please let us know how you are doing. Hopeful Heart

leads

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-16 10:10:04

Odds are it's nothing you did. Sometimes they just don't stick. It should be easier this time, they will go in the same place so it won't be a new incision or new pocket. Good luck to you.

Lead displacement

by Diamond Jules - 2012-10-16 10:10:35

Thank you Tracey and Hope......

Yes, wish I knew if it WAS something I did, or not likely?

Healthcare fine, apart from pain when clamped open, and incredible pain when pocket was being gouged out of me!!!

It's good to chat here, thanx

lead

by Hope - 2012-10-16 10:10:51

Hi! So sorry you are having to have more surgery. Are you confident with your current medical care??? Just be sure and take care. Hopeful Heart

pain

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-16 10:10:55

Tell them you were in pain last time during the procedure! They can give you something different this time. You shouldn't have felt anything but pressure.

You already have a pocket, so they won't have to do that again.

Odds of us doing something to dislodge a lead after the first 24 hrs are very small. When you think about it, it's amazing to me they ever get a lead in securely where it's supposed to be first try. They're doing it all by xray and the heart is a moving, working muscle. Sometimes it's not in tight enough to start with, sometimes it ends up in a less than ideal location and comes loose, some people do better with a different type of lead. Lots of things can happen, most of which are more luck than anything you did or your surgeon could have done differently.

Lead dislodgement

by Pookie - 2012-10-17 12:10:38

Is dislodgement even a word??? LOL

Hi.

I'm sorry to hear that a lead didn't stay in place. I had it happen 3 times. It is probably nothing you did like Tracey said. Sometimes its just the type of end that particular doctors use. There are 2 types: one that is like a fish hook & the other is like a screw.

I know it's difficult to hear that you have to go in for another surgery, but hopefully this time the lead will stay in place. It's very common for this to happen. Just don't blame yourself.

Take care & keep us posted.

Pookie

response to lead displacement

by bamafan - 2012-10-23 10:10:15

I had a lead to become "unscrewed" last year after my PM insertion in April. I had a lead revision in June and the lead came out again! In September I had a 3rd revision and was switched to a hook-type lead which stuck... no more problems that I know of. If you have a revision (another surgery) I would definitely recommend changing to a different type of lead.

My initial lead was a Medtronic screw-type lead and the new one is a Boston Scientific J-hook type lead. I don't know about all that... other than for me the screw-lead would not hold, we had to use a hook-lead.

Hope this helps....

Lead displacement pain

by reds_threads - 2012-11-08 11:11:06

Has anyone had pain with their lead displacement? I have severe pain in my left arm/chest. I also have shoulder problems. I'm being treated by an orthopedist for the shoulder. However, I have a high rate of pvcs. Due to a week long heart monitoring, I'm now getting ready to have a chest x-ray for lead displacement. Kindo of wondering if this could be a lead problem, instead of a shoulder problem.

Thankl you for your insight.

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So, my advice is to go about your daily routine and forget that you have a pacemaker implanted in your body.