Showering

Hello All! I'm new to the actual pacemaker club, it was implanted Thursday but I did come across this website a while ago and I have to thank everyone because it made this decision incredibly easy. Just for a little background I have had 8 ablations all together for WPW then IST. My EP said he's never seen a sinus node as stubborn as mine, which I guess in the normal world would be a great thing. I'm lucky to say the only major pain I have had is from where they put the chest tubes in but I'm keeping my fingers crossed just in case. Since I have a limited range of motion on either side (left from the pacer and right from the mini thoracotomy) does anyone have any good suggestions for washing my hair? I'm having a hard enough time not being able to wear a bra (sorry to all the guys!) Thank you again for your wealth of information which comforted myself and my entire family during a stressful time.

6 Comments

Showering

by Alma Annie - 2013-02-04 02:02:22

If you spray the wound with OpSite you can shower, wash your hair or whatever. My EP had mine sprayed the following morning after evening surgery. It remained waterproof for about 2 weeks. I cannot understand why other EPs don't use it. It also prevented any infection.
I don't know whether it is a prescription item or whether the chemist would stock it.
Alma Annie

Welcome

by janetinak - 2013-02-04 02:02:30

I usually only go to the hairdresser for a cut &/or perm but after a PM insertion, I get my hair washed. Usually only need it the one time as I use a hand held shower so after the dressing is off & just steri strips, I shower with the hand held shower thingie.

As to the bra thing, I use my loosest bra & blouse & put a soft face cloth over the site & under the bra starp. It helps & usually with the next PM insertion where they usually use the same site & the pocket is established it is not so much of an issue, If I have difficulty fastening in the back, I either fasten it in front & then turn it around front to back. Some gals use the front hook type of bra but I need more support that that type gives me. Look under the Search button top right of this page & put subject & see previous posts. Things are usually much easier with the next PM replacement.

Showering

by golden_snitch - 2013-02-04 05:02:09

Hi!

I usually just bend over the sink, even with a mini-thoracotomy (had one on the left for epicardial leads, on the right for superior vena cava reconstruction). Or my Mom helped me. And I was allowed to shower only 3 or 4 days after surgery, so that made things easier.

Did you get epicardial leads? And if so, did you get them because your superior vena cava is narrowed by scar tissue from the sinus node ablations? You seem to have had quite a lot of ablations in the sinus node area. By the way, the sinus "node" really isn't much of a clearly defined node, unlike the AV-node, but it's an area covered with pacemaker cells, and it looks different in everyone. Very difficult to destroy all those cells, my EPs even say it's impossible. I have had four sinus node ablations with about 120 radio frequency applications, but during my 7th ablation - which was for a different arrhythmia - my EP saw that there is electrical activity in the sinus node area again. He said my sinus node area is a mess. We'll see what happens and hope that it won't cause tachycardia sometime in the future again. I had superior vena cava syndrome due to the scar tissue from sinus node ablations, so no one will ever touch that area again.

Best
Inga

Showering

by scrappy12 - 2013-02-04 07:02:13

Hi! Luckily the hospital staff helped me shower on day 3 but I can't possibly go another 4 days without one until my follow up with the EP.

They did the mini thoracotomy in order to try and isolate as much of the right atrium as possible to destroy as much of the "sinus node" as possible. Both my EPs were confident this would do the job however if not the only other option is an AV node ablation. They have been monitoring the scar tissue very closely before I even voiced concern.

Thank you for your feedback.

Epicardial ablation

by golden_snitch - 2013-02-04 08:02:44

Hi!

I'm reading more often now that patients with IST undergo epicardial ablations, not right from the start, but after one or two endocardial ablation have failed. That's probably what EPs have learned from cases like mine. If you do it epicardially, the scar tissue can't block the superior vene cava. I had the IST ablations in 1999/2000, and the superior vena cava syndrome in 2003.

How long is the incision for the epicardial ablation? A friend of mine was supposed to have one, and they told her, it would be 2 - 3 centimetres. My mini-thoracotomies, which I needed for open-heart surgery and to place epicardial pacemaker leads, are both about 7centimetres below my left and right breast. They did hurt pretty badly.

Get well soon!
Inga

I hope it helps

by howdoyoumendabrokenheart - 2013-02-04 12:02:00

Put some shampoo and water in a spray bottle. Make it as soapy as you want....Spray you hair and rinse it out the best way you can. I think people forget that lifting your arms is the hard part, not because of the warnings but because it hurts. Oh yeah I'm a guy and it hurts well did hurt at the time.

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