Husbands pacemaker..what to expect?

My husband is getting a pacemaker on Tuesday.
Can anyone tell me what to expect? I am a total nervous wreck just thinking about it. He is quiet, I know he is wondering about how this is all going to turn out too.

I'm trying not to worry, but I wish it was just done and over with.

anyone?

11 Comments

dont panic

by bullseye - 2009-03-16 04:03:11

hi its totaly normal to worry you sound just like i was with my hubby ,it is worrying but with the help and advice on here we got through it all ,hubby having the pm was nothing compared to the 7 hour heart opp he had before ,your hubby will stay in hospital for a few days ,thats tottaly normal fel free to pm me if you wish any help i can give hope all goes well keep us informed

easy

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-16 05:03:51

I know it's stressful to think about but it's really not bad at all. I'm on my 4th pm now and it's a simple procedure.

Some doctors do it outpatient but most keep us overnight so they can do an xray at 24 hours to make sure the leads are where they're supposed to be.

He will probably be awake for it. He may or may not remember it, depending on what they give him.

He will be sore on the left side. I never took anything stronger than a tylenol for the pain, but not everyone gets by with that. It should feel considerably better after the first 3-4 days, completely better by 4-6 weeks.

He may come home with his left arm in a sling. They like us to keep the left arm fairly still the first few days. It needs to be kept lower than shoulder height and no lifting for 6 weeks so the leads have time to anchor into place well.

I second Frank's recommendation of a pillow. That's how I got through the nights, also.

Mental healing is as important as physical healing. It takes some time to wrap your head around the idea of having this thing helping our hearts along. It's important to remember that these computers are very sophisticated and dependable, much more so than our hearts. You didn't mention what his diagnosis is, but many of us end up feeling much more energetic and alert than before we had the pm, often feeling the difference as soon as we wake up. Some don't feel any different, but they are much safer because their heart won't pause or drop to dangerously low levels. I consider it a small price to pay for that piece of mind.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask! There are a lot of us here and we're happy to share.

before you know it...

by muirghe - 2009-03-16 09:03:23

...you will be back at home.

I just had pm surgery this January. Bowlrbob is right...the dentist is worse. I was awake for it, spent the day in the hospital and was home for dinner time. The hardest thing is to remember to not move your left arm about. As for myself, I took tylenol 3's for one day only and then nothing.

I have found that our site here is a wealth of helpful information. Don't be afraid to ask anything.

Take care and give us a follow up.

You are all great!

by lama - 2009-03-16 10:03:48

Thanks for the pep talk everyone!

I keep telling myself its a fairly standard procedure now, not like it once was. (I'm still scared but trying very hard not to show it and add more stress to him)

Dr's office called this morning and changed it from 4pm to 5:30am...Ugghh...lay awake all night thinking about it and get up early go sit in the hospital and think about it...

I'll let you all know how it went tomorrow, Thanks again.

Another recommendation

by ElectricFrank - 2009-03-16 11:03:13

Tracey mentioned coming home in a sling which can be helpful in supporting the arm. The sling they gave me was a cheap piece of junk, so my wife fashioned one out of an old cloth (that dates me) baby diaper that was much more comfortable. You can get better ones at any of the larger drug stores as well.

best of luck,

frank

Don't worry.

by bowlrbob - 2009-03-16 12:03:19

This operation is a piece of cake. I would say going to the dentist is worse. It takes about an hour sometimes less. The anesthetic used is light and you don't feel too bad when you come out of it. The time right after I was given some pretty strong pain medication. The 2nd day I took Tylenol 3's then after that just Tylenol to control pain. I was a little tired for a few days but I am not sure if it was the operation or the fact that my heart had stopped 3 times before the emergency room knew what my problem was. Most people do not get complications from this surgery. It can happen but is rare considering how many of these are put in each year. He will probably go home later in the day or at the latest the next day. Bowlrbob

Getting a pacemaker

by ElectricFrank - 2009-03-16 12:03:33

The pacemaker implant surgery isn't all that much if you have a good surgeon. I chose to remain fully awake during the whole thing and even with that it was easy.

Like any surgery he will be a bit sore on the pacemaker side for a few days to a couple of weeks. One of the best tricks is to sleep on the side opposite the pacemaker with a pillow in front to support the pacer side arm. This keep the arm from squeezing on the site. Using this I slept like a rock most of the first night . It would have been all nite except the nurse came in and woke me up for my pain med, which I had no need for.

frank

am is better than pm!

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-17 06:03:08

I always ask for the first appt in the morning! I'd rather wake up early and head straight to the hospital than think about it all day. Best of luck today, you and your husband will be in our thoughts. Please check in and let us know how it went.

It's done!

by lama - 2009-03-17 09:03:32

It's done, he went into surgery at 7:52am and was out about 9:45am. In the recovery room for about an hour and a half. They should be letting him out tomorrow sometime.

He is a bit sore, but his color looks better already and his lips are not purplish/blue any more.

Can anyone tell me if that the EMF Detector Pacemaker Health Alert Device is worth getting?

good news

by Tracey_E - 2009-03-18 07:03:20

I'm glad to hear it went well and his color looks better already! The change these things can make in our lives is often huge and wonderful, and as you just noticed, immediate.

I've never heard of the detector you mentioned. He should have a medic alert bracelet or dogtag now. I don't think most of us use anything else.

EMF Detector

by ElectricFrank - 2009-03-19 01:03:06

Unless your husband works around some sort of device that exposes him to electromagnetic fields there is no need for the detector. I would around car engines, radio transmitters, and a number of other devices and have never had a problem. The level of EMF required to interfere with the pacemaker is quite high. This wasn't always true in some of the older pacers, which is where the warnings came from. Even cardiologists often are still issuing instructions based on old technology.

It sounds like your husband was very much in need of a pacer, and is already benefiting from it.

frank

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