Stroke after pacemaker placement

Hi everyone,

Im new to this forum. My 79 year-old mother had a pacemaker put in this past Monday and was discharged the following day Tuesday.  My sister drove her home, and less than a few miles from her house her speech began to slur and her face began to contort. My sister drove her to the nearest hospital. My mother had a massive stroke and 70 percent of her right brain is dead.

  The neurologist said this was caused by the pacemaker. Does the hospital not check for blood clots before a patient goes home? My mother, altho 79, was very active. She did all her grocery shopping, cooking, driving, and took care of my father. We are devestated and so sad. Shes completely paralyzed on her left side and can barely talk now. We just cant believe this has happened. 

3 Comments

Stroke

by The real Patch - 2017-10-14 18:18:32

When they were having your mother or whoever sign paperwork in prep of this procedure, they provided a list of risk factors related to pacemaker implant, one of those risks noted was stroke. Sadly it happens, they can minimise the risk but they will still happen.

Hi Robin1

by Kookooaju - 2017-10-15 00:02:48

Thanks for the response. I am a Therapist so I know how important therapy is for a patients recovery. Shes already started therapy, and i work with her in the room as well.  Im hoping we can make a difference with her, she is still in the acute phase, so only time will tell. There's a risk with getting a pacemaker, and the scan showed these clots came from the heart. What happens Robin is clots can  form on the leads from the pacemaker and break off and travel to the brain. But cardiology is not my forte, so thats why i asked if anyone knew if they could scan patients before they leave to see if clots were present. Anaesthesia also is not a factor in this procedure because its local not general. Thank you for the encouragement.

Are you certain the operation was carried out correctly.?

by Sprinter95 - 2018-01-20 08:43:30

I would have someone look at her medical records.

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Member Quotes

In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.