How Long to Recover? Getting Frustrated

Please indulge my making another post but am quite frustrated. On May 2nd, I had two leads lasered out of my heart chambers and my PM replaced with the new MRI compatible. I developed pericardial effusion (fluid in the pericardium sac surrounding the heart) and dangerously low blood pressure so I went to ICU. The fluid abated and 2 1/2 weeks later the incision was revised. I had to have my voltage lowered from 4 v. to 2 v. because I was feeling it. While my BP is now normal (for me anyway) and labs two weeks ago were normal, I continue to have terrible fatigue and still feel "sore" in the heart area, with some intermittent sharp pains from the heart area. I have had my settings adjusted and my lower limit raised to close to what I was used to before (pretty high works better for me). Echocardiograms show good lead positions. Is this all normal? On occasion, the pains wake me up despite pain and sleep medication. It is not as bad in the day time, when I'm not laying down. The pains are worse in the evenings and when laying down - any position. I slept 15 hours today!!! I do NOT recall this as being part of the recovery process from my first PM. I am starting to become concerned that the lasering of the leads has caused permanent damage - more then temporary inflammation. The PM technician talked with my EP and they say to wait a while and see if it improves. I am 54 yrs old, could it just be normal slow recovery because of my age?

7 Comments

Hello Yak

by walkerd - 2011-05-28 08:05:15

you dont have to ask anyone to indulge you because you want to ask a question, thats what the site is for. Ive never had a lead replaced so I to really answer your question isnt anything I can really do but, I would assume that after lead removal and a new pm, recovery would be a little longer than just a pm change. The only advice I can offer is make sure you keep telling your docotors of the pain and when they occur, ie like the lieing down at night. But like I said it is probably normal after your surgery to be sore when you lay down. Good luck on your recovery and keep us posted.

dave

Recovery

by ElectricFrank - 2011-05-29 03:05:50

Keep in mind that having pericardial effusion is quite a different situation than a simple implant or replacement. The fluid in the pericardium sac can produce inflammation, which takes a while to resolve.

We're all so used to quick recoveries these days that it is easy to forget that it can take longer. My rule of thumb for me is that inflammation, whether from surgery or hitting my thumb with a hammer, will take about 3 weeks to disappear unless I have an infection. How painful it is during healing depends on where it is in my body.

Just be sure to contact the doctor if it starts getting worse or continues as it could indicate an infection.

best,

frank

Thanks for Input

by Yakkwak - 2011-05-29 04:05:21

Thanks so much for the input. Will be able to bear this better now and have a bit more patience about where this is/maybe taking me. To me, this kind of support is the best part of this website. It DOES make a difference! Blessings.

I had the same experience!

by iamsrg - 2011-05-30 02:05:27

I just had my 9 year old leads lasered out to get the MRI friendly pacemaker on April 20th so I am 2 weeks ahead of you in the recovery process. I also battled a pericardial effusion and pericarditis related to the lead extraction and felt pretty bad for about 4 weeks after the procedure. Toraldol for 5 days really helped the pericarditis pain.

I had to go back to the OR when one of my leads came undone and get it extracted (have the incision re-opened) and re-attached, which is I think also made me feel worse. During the lead extraction, itself, I suffered from a 20 minute period of v-tach, then severe hypotension and even a period of no pulse at all. I also got to spend some time in the ICU related to hypotension.

I'm so glad I do have the MRI friendly PM, but the lead extraction was some serious business and definitely, at least in my case, two times to the OR and accompanying blood loss made it a much more difficult recovery than my original pacemaker insertion. I am age 48 and very active normally.

Hope you are feeling much better soon, but you perhaps need to give it a little more time. You may also have pericarditis and an effusion, like I did, as you sound like you have the same symptoms. There is no special treatment but non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (toradol, naprosyn or motrin), lots of rest and time. I also slept with more pillows as raising my head helped the pain at night.

Wishing you a speedy recovery! I am scheduled for my first MRI in a couple of weeks which sounds like quite a production with pre- and post-MRI pacemaker programming as well as some MRI programming, too.

Follow-up

by Yakkwak - 2011-06-08 01:06:12

This is a follow-up to my post about my lead-lasering procedure. I am finally starting to feel better. To iamsrg who had a similar experience & those who responded: thanks so much for sharing. While I don't wish this experience in anyone, it certainly helps to know that someone understands. Sharing that you are on the better side of this now gave me the boost I needed to be patient. So thank you! I hope that others who have to have this done in the future may read our experiences and be better prepared than I was for possible complications. iamsrg: please share with us how your first MRI as a pm patient goes!!!!!

this place rocks!!!

by shartey - 2011-07-01 08:07:54

This site rocks....it has really helped me wrap my head around getting a pacemaker, I was not on any meds, no high blood pressure, ect ect...just spells of fatigue that were not explained...then bingo...they caught a dropped heart rate.

It has helped me so much to find this group.

Yakkwak, I am so glad you are seeing improvement and getting better...((((hugs)))) and prayers.

nigel

Nigel-

by Yakkwak - 2011-07-01 11:07:15

Thanks! Nigel!

You know you're wired when...

You’re officially battery-operated.

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