Lead very superficial on skin

My pacemaker lead has always kind of "stuck out" and been visible through the skin on my upper chest. It seems to be even more prominent now than it was before. I am a fairly thin person and have recently lost about 5 pounds and am down to about 115 lbs. Anyway, this past Friday I noticed a small blister/ pimple form directly over a knotted area where the lead is. It is not really hurting much at this point, but I was questioning if it is the lead rubbing and irritating the skin. I have an ep appt. next month but wasn't sure if I should bug them about this now. Any thin framed individuals have experience with this?

4 Comments

BUG THEM

by annie21 - 2014-06-23 05:06:26

it could be the start of an infection or just clothes rubbing go now don't wait until your next check up.

Bug them

by culver001 - 2014-07-24 03:07:20

I am very thin also and i have the same issue of the lead sticking out. by now you should have been to the scheduled appointment or went in. what did they say? was it an infection or just an irritation? please share the outcome for the rest of us whom might end up with a similiar issue. thanks and i hope all was well!!

Follow up

by JaneJ - 2014-07-25 10:07:43

My doctor was not to worried about it. He said it is just an irritation that is occuring from the outside of the skin not from within the pacing system/wire. He said it will heal up.

Same problem...

by asully - 2018-10-20 13:01:39

I am so thin and the placement is different for my leads and device and the device rests in my tummy between my ribs u can feel the whole thing and if I bump it it hurts.  My leads run up the middle of my chest and u can feel and see them most the way they rub sometimes and get blackheads around them. Then there is the atrial lead up below my collar bone I think this is the one your talking about and it pokes out like a wire pushing drone the other side. It got bumped so hard once it swelled up and freaked me out but it calmed down over night.  They tell me it’s fine, just don’t fiddle with em if you can feel em.

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