Lead Stuck On Old Battery

My recent pacemaker replacement surgery incurred the difficulty of tissue growing around my lead and pacemaker connection. Being that the surgery was being done in the cath lab (don't get me started!), they didn't have the needed instruments to separate them. After running to surgery and locating the needed instruments, they accomplished their goal. My tenderness seems to be more and lasting longer than my previous replacements (I've had a pacemaker for 40 years), so I am assuming the internal cutting added to the discomfort. Anyone else experience this?

4 Comments

Good point on the cath lab but...

by cathieflorida1 - 2015-01-24 04:01:10

Tracey, good point regarding the cath lab being good for lead replacement.

My biggest concern is that it is a bit more tricky than just a pacer replacement, and I do not like that there isn't an anestisist in there for potential problems. I also found that they do not have sufficient tools for those unforeseen issues.

I will be requesting the O.R. from now on, hoping that this last time shows a good reason to be in there. This is the second time my body has shown it does a bit odd things to foreign objects inside it. The first time was 40 years ago, so the doctors clearly didn't expect anything this time.

I also experienced very different patient treatment in the cath lab than in the O.R. from previous surgeries. They are so busy in the cath lab shuffling scheduled patients amongst the emergencies for all the procedures they do. It showed very much.

OR

by Tracey_E - 2015-01-24 04:01:56

All 4 of mine have been done in the OR. The last was 5 years ago. I've about killed this one, so I guess I'll find out next year if they still do it there or if they prefer the cath lab now. I can see the advantage of the cath lab if they are placing new leads.

Lack of Preparation in Cath Lab

by cathieflorida1 - 2015-01-24 08:01:24

This was my 7th replacement, and my husband reminds me that I always go into it thinking it is less than what it is regarding pain level, as well as recovery time. The incision is fine by this point...9 days later...but it is in the lower pocket that the sensitivity remains, especially as the day goes on where I am up and about. I figure it's the law of gravity on the wounded area where they had to cut the tissue off of the connection.

I'm glad you mentioned the cath lab for where the surgery was done. This was a first for me, and I certainly had my doubts. My biggest concern going in was that there wouldn't me an anesthetist to monitor for unexpected issues, such as breathing problems. I hadn't even thought about other complications.

They were not prepared for such as this, having to send someone out of the sterile unit over to surgery to gather the needed instruments. I heard about this from a friend over in surgery who had no idea I was "that patient" being talked about.

Are there any hospitals still around that still do the replacements in surgery?

scar tissue

by Tracey_E - 2015-01-24 08:01:24

I didn't run into the same problem, but I had a lot of scar tissue built up and it was starting to get painful, so when I had my last replacement (4th), they cleaned up the scar tissue and rebuilt the pocket. I don't remember how sore I was after the first one, but this was considerably more than the other replacements. I had more warning than you so it was done in the OR, and at the last minute the EP asked a plastic surgeon to assist.

Sorry you went through that! Feel better soon.

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