Pacemaker movement question

I had my ICD implanted Nov 2020, and am adapting to it quite well. However, when I am lying down, it seems to pivot and ends up right against my collar bone. When I am upright, it sits about 2 1/2" below my collar bone, so it feels like it's not scarred in correctly. I am heavy-chested (G cup), and quite often feel a pull at the top of the PM. Is this something I should be concerned about? Would a breast reduction (with my cardiologist's blessing) help?

2 Comments

same here

by Tulp - 2021-04-11 22:21:18

Same here, but it doesnt worry or bother me. (CRT defibrillator installed in February, and G cup)

Did you mention it to your cardiologist ? And if so, what does she/he thinks about it ?

ask but

by Tracey_E - 2021-04-12 08:46:49

In theory they start out stitched in place. Some surgeons don't do this, sometimes they do it but it doesn't hold.

Mine is similar, placed nicely when I'm upright but shifts and slides considerably when I raise my arm or lie on my side. I'm a DD, it doesn't pull all of the time. I have a pacer so it's smaller than your icd, but my doctor said as long as it's not flipping that it's safe, however he offered to move it if it was bothering me too much. I considered it but decided it's annoying, not painful, so I'll deal until my next replacement. I would give it a year before making a decision, they can continue to settle. 

It's up to you if you want to consider a reduction. Have you had a consult with a plastic surgeon? I would imagine it would help with the pulling, but repositioning it would be a much easier surgery and accomplish the same thing. So, first I would talk to your cardiologist and make sure he's not worried about the leads getting tangled when it shifts. If he is, then that's a reason to reposition sooner than later. If you're like me and it's safe but just annoying, then I would talk to a plastic surgeon about your options. 

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