Pectoral placement

Hi all,

I am 44 and was diagnosed with AV block at end of Feb. Had my pacemaker placed the day after consultation with my primary cardiologist. He referred me to the electrophysiologist in his practice. She recommended (while I was on the table being prepped for the implantation) a "pectoral placement" since I am "so young". I consented and now my PM is over my right pectoral muscle, near my armpit. I am starting to wonder how great an idea that was. Do any of you have similar placements? If so, do you find it to be beneficial for active lifestyles? I like to exercise and lift weights and the MD said that the pectoral placement is best for such activities - I wonder if that has any statistical/anecdotal basis in fact. Tell me I did the right thing :)

4 Comments

Re: Pectoral Muscle

by gsue55 - 2008-04-04 09:04:09

Mine was put on the left side of my chest right under the collar bone. I had problems with it moving around on me. I would wake up & it would be near my armpit and then before long it was up near my collar bone.It hurt when it would move around like that. After going through different types of ways around it..Injections to numb it ect. I had enough and ask my EP to please put it under the muscle. I went into surgery and thats what he did. I can tell you I have never felt better since having this done. I pretty much don't even know it is there now.

I hope this helps you in some way.
Gloria
gsue55@yahoo.com

An inch below...

by heckboy - 2008-04-04 10:04:00

... the collarbone on the left side for me... maybe and inch and a half. My PM is pretty much centered between the center of my chest and my armpit. I hear these stories of migrating PMs and it's disturbing. How does a PM slide into an armpit? Does the skin of some people separate from the muscle easier than others?

Pectoral Muscle

by motorhome - 2008-04-04 10:04:36

Had mine 10 years same place. Just got my secound one as battery was going down. I play tennis 3 times a week and work out also. I do not do any major lifting or trying to bulkup. Just work out to stay flexable. And to try and keep up with the younger generation. I am 68.My first PM one of the leads did not work of pulled lose and this could have been my fault as to lifting of weights. I had one lead for 10 years with no problems. Now with new PM I have 2 working. Don't know all your particulars but my advice give up the heavy weights. Light weights and more reps. Good luck and enjoy life. Ken

Traveling Pacers

by ElectricFrank - 2008-04-05 12:04:05

From the Medtronics Manual under Implantation Procedure:

Securing the Pacemaker
A suture placed through the suture hole located in the connector assembly area helps secure the pacemaker in the subcutaneous pocket, thus minimizing post implantation rotation and migration of the device.

So it would seem that the only way the pacemaker could migrate any distance would be if the surgeon didn't suture in down as recommended. While this is for a Medtronics I would suppose all the makes would have some way of doing this. I ask the cardiologist about mine after things had healed enough that I was actively moving my left arm. I noticed that if I reached across to the right the pacer would stand up on edge and I had wondered if I could flip it over. He said he had sutured it down and I would have to tear the sutures out in order to move it.

frank

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