Things that could happen

repetitive movements

by Tracey_E - 2018-01-28 17:38:08

There is zero chance of any action we do pulling it out of the heart. Scar tissue holds it in after the first few days, after a year it takes a special laser to get it out because it's in so tight. Movement on the lead in the chest does not correspond to pulling on the lead in the heart. They never put it in tightly, there is always slack, sometimes so much that they coil it behind the device.

As for wearing it to the point it breaks, we have had 2 or 3 members reported broken leads from their movements. I'm one of the moderators, so been around a long time and stay involved. That's all I can think of. It's a very small minority.

If it is very close to the surface or placed so that it could  be crushed by putting pressure on the collar bone, it may be an issue. For the rest of us? If it's lower and/or deeper and therefore cushioned? Not gonna hurt it. Most movements don't move the leads around. They are small and flexible, intended to move with us.

I've been doing Crossfit 5 days a week since 2011, don't hold back at all. I also love to kayak and have recently developed an addiction to treetop ropes and challenge courses. My old doctor was fine with it, knew that I do pull ups and lift heavy and other movements that some docs are hesitant to allow. I switched to a congenital  specialist ep last year who has 1000+ adult congenital patients, so sees many more patients like me than my old doc. He, too, not just allows it but encourages me to stay as active as I can. Keeping the heart strong is the best thing we can do for ourselves. 

This doc is different than my old one since he sees a lot of patients who are paced long term. He actively keeps an eye on the leads, my old doc just looked at the pacing reports. He does an xray every year to look for minute issues in the lead,  he said sometimes he can see something there before it shows up in the pacing reports. He also includes the veins where the leads are when he does an annual echo. In a lifetime of being a heart patient I have never had an echo that thorough! One of my leads is from 1994, it's still going strong. I had one replaced in 2010, normal wear and tear. Average lead life is 15 years, but they can last 20 or 30 or more. 

I am not careful. I do not worry about my leads. I live my life and don't give it a thought. April will be 24 years. 

I had a lead problem

by Grateful Heart - 2018-01-28 17:47:36

And I needed a lead revision about 18 months after implant but it was not due to exercising.

I go to they gym at least 3 times a week and yoga classes twice a week.  No problems with leads. 

There are plenty of athletes here who do not have any lead problems.  Just don't swing from a chandelier.

Grateful Heart

go for it

by 06kj - 2018-01-28 20:55:52

I have managed to dislocate my shoulder mountain biking without causing any problems with my ICD. I also fell 25' from a tree canopy, landing with my back on the ground and caused no ICD damage. I have never let my ICD hold me back. I have been shocked while doing crossfit... This was a programming error though and has since been corrected.

darn

by Tracey_E - 2018-01-28 21:44:47

GH, we aren't supposed to swing from chandeliers??? Crud, wish someone had told me that before!

06kj, I think we could have some fun together.

Tracey: I told you...

by donr - 2018-01-28 23:30:32

...About chandeliers years ago!  The exact wrding, as I recall it is - "... don't swing from the dining room chandelier like a Gorilla while eating a banana while hanging on w/ the PM side arm."  I'll search for my list  - it also includes a ban on operating a jackhammer  breaking concrete on a highway construction job while your belly hangs out over the handle - and other pearls of wisdom.

On to the subj at hand - failing leads:

I had a brittle failure of a lead at 4 yrs. No evidence of repetitive bending.  Failure was apparently just inside entry point of subclavian vein.  Most likely a failure due to mfg defect or metallurgical defect.  Consider what a lead goes through - from the moment it is placed, it reverses direction roughly twice per second as blood starts & stops, whipping the lead around.  Heart beats at min of 60 times per min - or about 3 million times per month - 36 million times per year.  I've had my replacement lead for 13 yrs now.  It has bent well over 400 millioin times.  Do you REALLY think any exercise you could do woud influence that?

Donr

Premature..

by ROBO Pop - 2018-01-29 11:10:57

No matter your age, or physical prowess, you don't need to worry about premature withdrawl ... of the leads for heaven sake.

Now if you want to worry about your heart stopping ... well that's far more likely to be the result of an irrate wife than device lead failure. 

Pearls of Wisdom

by Grateful Heart - 2018-01-29 11:39:21

Yes indeed, Donr did coin that lengthy chandelier line years ago....no need to search for it.

You get full credit for that one.  :)  Don't recall the jackhammer line but glad you claimed it.   

Donr:  How come your photo looks like a side profile of Alfred Hitchcock?  Just wondering :)

Good to see you back!!

Grateful Heart