pacemaker

post-procedure pain

by Julros - 2021-06-12 15:30:27

Welcome!

Everyone's path of healing seems to vary. Some are pain-free after a couple of weeks, some take months. There are lots of variables: did you have bleeding, is the pacer just under the skin or under the muscle, co-morbidities, nutrition, complying with activity restrictions but maintaining mobility. 

You should be concerned if you develop a fever, the site is red or swollen, or there is drainage from the incision. But you should be able to reach out to the office with your concerns. Some people say ice helps. For me, warmth was more effective. Over the counter pain relief helps a little. And I eventually got a PT referrral after 4 months, which worked the best. 

like Jules said

by Tulp - 2021-06-12 23:43:36

Like Julros said, it varies from person to person, but 4 weeks does not seem too much to worry about.

Welcome to the club!

Post Operative Pain

by MayanQ - 2021-06-15 16:52:21

Hi 

Last year I had my third pacemaker implanted....I was the unfortunate one who had both my leads of my dual PM break. The first and second surgery had discomfort and mild pain but the third one gave me consistent, very painful chest area and lots of pain in my upper left arm that lasted for a couple of months. I think there are a couple of reasons for this....1) this was my third PM in less than 9 years, so I had a fair amount of scar tissue; 2) because I was breaking the leads, the doctors decided to sew the lead wires to my chest muscle to help reduce the amount of movement of the pacemaker. I am praying that this PM lasts longer than the other 2. By the way, I am an active women in my 60's. If you have intense pain, drainage from the sutures, excess warm from the wound area, I would recommend you get yourself checked out.