Golf

Just had a pacemaker installed two days ago. Will I be able to play golf?

8 Comments

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by Theknotguy - 2015-02-14 10:02:10

Check the search button in the upper right corner of the forum. There are a lot of posts about PM's and playing golf.

The thing you have to watch for is pulling the leads. So you have to give your body time to heal. Both the implant scar and then the leads going into the heart have to be incorporated. Per standard healing times you have to give yourself the 4 to 6 week period for that to happen.

If you try to push it before the scar has healed and the leads are incorporated you'll pull them, then spend another 4-6 weeks for that injury to heal. I pulled mine at about 8 weeks. Oh, and it hurts like hell when you pull them.

Most golfers work on their putting game for the first four weeks. Then work on their putting and chipping game for the next two weeks. After that, they work on light swings. Gradually they work up to full swings as they feel better. Time frame for that depends upon how your body heals and how you feel. I can't give a better time frame than that.

During the first four weeks you don't want to lift the elbow on the PM side above your shoulder. You don't want to lift anything over 10 pounds with the same arm. Reason for that is to give the leads time to be incorporated and all scarring to heal.

I had a lot more trauma, so it was over a year before I got back to "normal". I can throw the ball for the dogs as hard as I want now. I feel you'll be able to get back to your game and do as well or better than before.

Hope everything continues to go well for you.

Golf

by bhaynor - 2015-02-14 11:02:15

Thanks for the info. Plan to go slow. I am 75 this year so in no hurry. Will keep posted.

bhaynor

by IAN MC - 2015-02-15 04:02:31

Don't talk to me about pacemakers, I used to play golf just like Jack Nicklaus until I had my implant.

Now I am slicing my drives and missing most putts, There are many possible explanations for this :-

- you never play as well after having PM
- holes are getting smaller
- my clubs are faulty; all of them !
- there is a golf setting on the PM which my techs have turned off

..or maybe PMs affect your memory, perhaps I never was that good !!

Enjoy your golf , you should be able to play a normal game after 8 to 10 weeks.

Cheers

Ian

golf

by Tracey_E - 2015-02-15 07:02:50

You can putt, chip and pitch whenever you feel up to it. My doc said wait 3 months for a full swing.

Ian, guess you forgot to ask for the GolfPace model. Maybe when it's time for replacement? My dad said the best thing that ever happened to his golf swing was the titanium rods in his back, but that might be a little extreme.

More on golf

by CaptDon - 2015-02-15 07:02:50

I had the same concerns. Now 5 months post implant and golf is not a problem. For me, I started putting and chipping at 3+ weeks, short irons after 6 weeks and full swings after 8 weeks. Remembering that this was the schedule set by my cardiologist.

Tracey, no it's not too extreme !

by IAN MC - 2015-02-15 08:02:31


I want titanium rods in my back a.s.a.p. Surgeon's name please.

Ian

hole in one

by Doorney - 2015-02-16 01:02:12

Four weeks after my crt-d surgery on th 22 dec 2014, I was back playing golf as normal. The first game I was a little tentative, the next game I scored 40 stableford points and the next game got a hole in one. I Think the crt-t straightened my game up. Give it a good four to six weeks and you should be able to do just about everything you could do before.

Reminds me of a joke

by Busdriver - 2015-02-16 03:02:23

I heard a joke once that went something like this: A guy says to his doctor "Hey Doc, after this surgery will I be able to play a piano?" The doctor says "I don't see why not." The guy says "Great! I always wanted to play the piano, but I never took the time to learn how!"

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