Lead revision/relocation

Hey there everyone! I am completely new to all of this and still trying to find my footing. I had my dual pacemaker placed 6/14 for SSS with severe sinus arrest and bradycardia. My longest pause was 15 seconds. While still in the hospital, I started having very intense, visible, paced spasms in my right ribcage area. They seemed to shrug it off as muscle spasms and gave me Flexoril. A few days later I had had enough and called my pacemaker clinic nurse. She said she had to see me that day and was sure she knew what was happening. She waved her magic wand over the PM, and saw it almost immediately. She changed the voltages and such, and it continued. She called the doctor in, and he said that because of my size iit was interfering with the phrenic nerve. They had to turn what they called my threshold down drastically.He said that another surgery was the only option, as the lead needed to be relocated. I'm scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday, and honestly am very nervous! Is this happening at all common? What is the chance of them being able to relocate it if my size is the issue? Sorry for the ramble, just very overwhelmed!

4 Comments

15 seconds

by AgentX86 - 2021-06-26 00:32:11

Yikes!  You could easily have been coldcuts.  At 15-seconds, it's almost as likely that it would be forever.

It's not unknown that a lead will fall (be pulled) out in the first couple of days.  It's usually because they put it in a place that isn't very strong or didn't attach it firmly.  In the first few days or weeks, it's not a big deal to reattach it or put in a new one, if necessary.  It hasn't yet grown into the vein so it'll be easy to remove, if necessary.  It's a PITA but I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Thanks for the reassurance!

by Mae11 - 2021-06-26 00:48:34

That's what my EP told me. The first pause of 8 seconds was seen on my event monitor by my cardiologist. He immediately referred me to the EP. I was seen by him within a few days, but he said he had gotten an incomplete report from the cardiologist. He went through the rest of the report and saw several pauses of 8, 12, and 15 seconds. I was sure before this finding that there was nothing wrong with my heart, and it had to be something else causing my symptoms as nothing had shown on the echo or any of the other tests. So from there it was all very rushed to put in the PM. This is all new, and I'm still trying to understand it all. Thanks so much for the response and reassurance! This site has already given me a wealth of knowedge.

it happens

by Tracey_E - 2021-06-26 10:06:05

It's not common, but it's not rare either. Sometimes the leads just don't stay where they're put and they have to go back in and do it again. 

Thanks Tracy

by Mae11 - 2021-06-26 10:58:43

What you guys have told me has reassured me quite a bit, so thank you! I did some research online and saw about the same as you guys are telling me. That before it is embedded in the scar tissue it is much easier.

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My eight year old son had a pacemaker since he was 6 months old. He does very well, plays soccer, baseball, and rides his bike. I am so glad he is not ashamed of his pacemaker. He will proudly show his "battery" to anyone.