Pacemaker Club: Pacemaker/ICD wires blocking my superior vena cava

Pacemaker/ICD wires blocking my superior vena cava

by inch
2017-04-15 19:51:25
ICDs
2069 views
2 comments

The superior vena cava sits just above the right atrium. Mine has two wires passing through it which in the past 6-8 months have grown vegitation or scar tissue that has nearly 100% blocked my svc. Normally this would just kill you but my body saw it comming and built or expanded my colateral circulation (back doors around the svc to the ivc or the inferior vena cava. SVC all the blood from both arms, head and neck go to the svc then to the right atrium and on ward to the right ventricle and then lungs... and so forth. IVC all the blood mostly from you legs and trunk coming back to the heard pass into the ivc to the right atrium then rt ventricle. I am awaiting surgery. I also have a recall on my ICD and the right ventricular lead. although this is very interesting it is happening to me. Has anyone out there any experience with this issue.

2 Comments

Superior vena cava obstruction

by Selwyn - 2017-04-15 22:56:15

Actually, this is most unlikely to kill you for the reasons you stated, namely your body opens up the connecting veins. It can cause some symtoms though, as you may be aware of.

Although my personal experience is limited, and to seeing unfortunates with this problem ( I have only seen cancer cases), the conditon is ameniable to stenting.

You may be intersted in reading patient information re. this SVC syndrome:

https://patient.info/doctor/superior-vena-cava-obstruction

I would expect after surgery you will have a complete recovery.

Bad luck getting this, good luck for a complete cure.

Selwyn

My SVC

by inch - 2017-04-17 10:20:23

I agree. The way i stated my blockage of my svc took months for the colaterals to open up and take some of the load to the ivc this would not kill you. I was trying to say that if there was an acute 100% blockage of the svc then that would be an emergent situation and might not end well. Fortunately I am quite comfortable as i wait for a bypass from my right ij to my rt atrium. I will see how it goes.

Inch