Epicardial pacemaker

Hi

I am due to go and see my cardiologist in 3 weeks, because I have been having trouble with nausea and breathlessness when walking short distances. I know that a pacemaker is something that I will need for heart block in the future, and I think that it may well be sooner rather than later now that I am having these symptoms.

Because of previous heart surgery, I was told 6 years ago that i would need the pacemaker leads to be implanted on the outside of my heart, as so many of my blood vessels have been moved, so they cant access the right places by going through the veins.

I was led to belive that this would require having my chest cut open. Is this still the case? What is the surgical incision like for epicardial lead placement? I have had open heart surgery before and am very wary of having the old scar opened again.

Any information/advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks very much.

4 Comments

Thanks

by darkphoenix - 2008-11-27 07:11:14

Hi

Thanks for your replies. Its good to hear that you would go through it again,and that it was manageable. I had a thorocotomy as a baby, but obviously I cant remember it now.

I'm glad you only had to stay in for 5 days, and that the chest drain was not in for too long. I was worried that it would mean staying in for a week or so...

How much has the thorocotomy affected your movement? Is it really sore to get washed and dressed etc.? Is a broken rib a common complication of that kind of surgery?

Sorry for the interrogation...

Thanks again, and I hope you continue to recover well.

Just went thru it...

by chip - 2008-11-27 11:11:38

I just went through this very procedure 10 days ago. My atrial leads have stopped conducting and it was decided that placing the leads on the outside of my heart may work. Long story short – it didn’t due to my hearts lack of ability to conduct a signal in the upper chambers.

The surgery is involved as they will go through your left side just under the breast area. A thoracotomy is required and my incision area is about 6” long. I had a chest tube in for the first 36 hours afterwards. I did have a rib break during the procedure and that added to the discomfort. I was hospitalized for 5 days mostly due to the need for pain control. I’m now 10 days post surgery and still in some discomfort but the pain is manageable with Ultram.

Would I do it again – YES, if they could tell me that I had a chance of getting the upper chambers to function.

All in all it was an uncomfortable but manageable procedure.

Reply...

by chip - 2008-11-28 11:11:46

I won’t pull your leg – the thoracotomy is still pretty sore but as I said earlier the pain is manageable. (I take tramadol for the pain and advil for the swelling) They will send you home on a narcotic pain reliever like oxycontin but I only needed it for the first few days.

My wife assisted me with personal care for the first few days after I came home. I probably could have done it alone but her help made it much easier and less painful.

The rib fracture is a risk when they spread the rib-cage to get to the heart and my surgeon told me a fracture happens about 50% of the time; so I would say it is pretty common.

Happy to answer any questions you might have – just ask!

Please drop a message back and let us all know how you get along.

lead placement

by Brenda Price - 2009-07-14 09:07:53

I ran across your post in Nov. Did you have the surgery? Was it a success?

I will probably have the same type of surg. later this year.My ejection fraction remaibs at 20%

You know you're wired when...

You can feel your fingers and toes again.

Member Quotes

As for my pacemaker (almost 7 years old) I like to think of it in the terms of the old Timex commercial - takes a licking and keeps on ticking.