New lead already

I had my pacemaker implant done on last Monday, October 8. As I was in recovery, I could feel small shocks around the area just south of my pacemaker. None of the staff thought anything of it as I would report it to them. So, all of last week, I could feel these shocks from time to time. Some of them were small and just annoying while others made my whole pectoral bounce. The pulses were either several in a row, or just an individual one.
My pacemaker only kicks in when I need it. (sorry, I'm new to this PM world, so I don't know any of the terms).
Well, I called the cardiology pacemaker nurse Monday morning, and she had me come in to test why that's happening. Of course, I would feel no shocks while I was in her office. She had the St. Jude rep on the phone while conducting the tests. They wanted me to come back yesterday while the rep was in the area so he could run the tests himself.
I got all kinds of reactions during the tests yesterday, and they couldn't figure out why they were happening based on where I was getting them. My shirt was moving from my pectoral area bouncing, and they could see that. He ran the tests in bipolar mode, so the only the leads were conducting. A chest x-ray didn't show any damage or movement of the leads. As I was leaving their office, the doctor called and just wants to remove the lead.
I'm baffled. I've installed car stereos in all of my cars, so I have a basic understanding of this electrical stuff. How can a wire that is brand new be causing this? Since Sunday, the shocks haven't been as intense, aside from the tests yesterday and I had 3 big consecutive ones last night.

Having to get a pacemaker at 32 really sucks, but having to have a 2nd surgery to "repair" the work shouldn't happen to anyone.
I'm a pretty mellow and laid back guy, but I'm ready to wring someone's neck. Monday night, when I stayed in the hospital after my surgery, I was in so much pain from the incision and the constant shocks. They had my heart rate set to 100 all night.

Let's hope they get it right tomorrow. 8am surgery, so everyone should be fresh and alert.
/rant

8 Comments

um

by zmbrsys - 2012-10-17 02:10:49

so there's this:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/17/us-stjude-results-idUSBRE89G0SC20121017

Maybe I'll just ask for a complete swap to a different company's product.

Understand your frustrations!

by TRL28 - 2012-10-17 07:10:29

I am 28 and had my pacer placed on Friday. Friday night I was is excruciating pain not at the pacemaker site or even to that side but to my right shoulder and chest with every breathe. This resolved Saturday evening but the doc is still unsure what went on. The pacer rep came back in to check it a second time talking about unipolar and bipolar also however this was all jibberish to me but said it looked fine. My doc wants it checked in one week again just to be safe. He was concerned of the possibility of either my heart not happy with where the lead was placed or it coming "unscrewed." and mentioned going back in too. I'm feeling much better so hopefully this does not have to happen but I definately know your frustrations of the thought of this. Keep you head up and just remember it'll be all up hill once they get it how/where it needs to be! I'm glad they are at least listening to you and taking care of the problem promptly! Good luck!

im new too lol

by josee2555 - 2012-10-17 11:10:59

just got my first pacer on oct 10th and im only 27...had to stay in the hospital for a week cuz my surgery kept getting bumped....i also have a 5 month old baby to take care of :(....the whole process was and still is very stressful i spent most of my time in the hospital just plain pissed off lol...hope everything goes well good luck!

Thanks

by zmbrsys - 2012-10-17 12:10:04

Don,
The St Jude guy did talk about unipolar and bipolar to me, and said the PM is working properly. Of course, at this point, it might be just a finger pointing game. I was feeling effects immediately after the twilight drugs were wearing off a few hours after surgery. I agree, they should have inspected everything before sewing me up.
Josee,
I feel your pain - except for the youngling. Congrats on that. I'm expecting my fiancée here sometime, as we're waiting on her visa. That's a whole different painful process.

Matt

This sounds like a problem for...

by donr - 2012-10-17 12:10:42

...your surgeon! (And you thought I was going to say "Superman!")

This also sounds like you are having a problem w/ the lead not working properly in the bi-polar mode. You did not say what the St JUde guy said.

When a bi-polar lead fails, its backup mode is uni-polar. This means that the lead is conducting OUT bound from the PM & your body tissue is the return path to the PM. In this case, the PM case is the collector from the body fluids & you can sometimes feel this happening - the current flow across the Body-PM case junction is enough to stimulate the muscle to jerk.

I had this happen.

At least your surgeon is willing to go in right now & replace a potentially bad lead or re-do a BAD implant site in your heart. One is a mfgr problem -the other a surgeon's problem. BOTH of which should have been detected immediately after implant & BEFORE they closed you up.

Hope all went well for you, since I JUST now readf your msg & responded.

Don

Jumping muscle

by Vicens - 2012-10-19 02:10:39

Hi, I, too, two years ago, had this strange feeling of my pectoral muscle jumping up and down when I moved my arm in a certain way.
Went to the clinic. They said one of my leads was "coupling" with a nerve and said something about ·"changing polarity". After they did so, never again has occurred.

response to new lead

by bamafan - 2012-10-23 09:10:39

I had a lead to come "unscrewed" after my PM insertion last year in April. My symptoms were just as you have described. I had a revision in June, and then the lead to come out again! I had another revision in September where we changed to a hook-type lead and this time it stayed. If you have a revision (surgery again).... I would definitely recommend changing to a different type of lead.

Update

by zmbrsys - 2012-10-23 10:10:19

The revision surgery was successful and I haven't felt any shocks or additional discomfort. In fact, the pain is almost gone. The doctor didn't see any problem with the 2088TC lead I had, and replaced it with an 1688TC.
Now, the St Jude rep did tell me when he came the following morning that the doctor attached the "bad" 2088TC in a place in my heart that would result in more power being used by the PM. This would cause the battery to run out faster. He didn't say if this would cause the shocking I was getting, but maybe it's related.
I'm just happy everything is working correctly now. And work is happy to let me work from home while I recover.

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