Pacemaker Infection

[Uncle Al]

Stu,

Here's wishing you success and a very healthy outcome

Uncle Al

[Myopic Bookworm]

Your heart has two systems that can go wrong and that correlate to your house: the plumbing and the electrics.

Very good analogy.

My dad always had pretty good health (helped by being brought up during wartime rationing, so he had an enforced healthy diet as a child). What did for him in the end (at the age of 90) was a stroke, but failure of the heart electrics (atrial fibrillation) may have been a contributory cause.

Wishing you all the best with your own electrics.

[Kirbstone]

I had a brilliant lifelong rower (Olympian!) friend who was a vascular surgeon and never touched a drop of alcohol in case he got called out in the middle of the night to operate. When he did so he was saving somebody's life, for sure.
Alas, he himself succumbed to a sudden cardiac arrest at age 73 while doing what he liked best....rowing on his Concept 2 Ergometer at home.. What a way to go, but FAR too young in my opinion. He must have been so busy looking after his patients that he neglected to monitor himself.

Tom

[partlyscot]

Hi Stu, sounds like we have/had similar issues. Mine is 3rd degree block, but without the additional upper chamber issues, though lately have picked up Atrial Fibrillation. Didn't know I had that before a check up. Means I need blood thinners, fortunately my Doctor persuaded the insurance to cover Dabigatran, so I don't have to worry about the problems with Warfarin. Like you, I had no issue with blood blockages, in fact walked into the ER. Gave the ER docs some excitement, stable 3rd degree is not unheard of, but also not common. (Never a good thing when the Docs get excited, I figured out before the Cardiologist told me I needed a pacemaker)

First one went in Feb 14 2013, (I got my heart fixed on Valentines!) Replacement went in last Feb. Both operations were under local, and only mild discomfort, though the second surgeon must have used a can opener by the scar he left. This one should last 15 years instead of 10 the first was rated at. I hoped they would have certified the rechargeable one they had been talking about.

Hope everything stays working for you without further excitement.

[Stu]

Mine is 3rd degree block, but without the additional upper chamber issues, though lately have picked up Atrial Fibrillation.

Thanks for the reply. It looks like your situation is worse than mine as my 3rd degree block only comes with exertion and I haven't experienced atrial fibrillation. Looks like you're back on form now, which is great. My complications stem from an infection at the original site - then a re-infection of that site a month or so after it was removed. While I am still a bit injured and tender on both shoulders, my fitness has begun to return so I think I am on the mend.

In the latter two surgeries I had, I asked for a sedative as well as the local anaesthetic and was given fentanyl. It had zero effect. The dose was doubled - and the effect was akin to having drunk a small glass of wine. Why people become addicted to that stuff is a mystery. With the first surgery, it was a female cardiologist and she was brutal. When I mentioned the pain, I was told I would just have to "suck it up". She would have been a good fit as a ship's doctor in the Royal Navy circa 1700 - giving the patient a swig of run and something to bite on before an amputation.

I suppose the blessing is that I've had a whole load of expensive treatment and four weeks in three different hospitals and it hasn't cost me a penny.

[Kirbstone]

Yes, Apparently those severed limbs on board ships made a sickening thud as they fell to the floor during surgery. Equally interesting is the fact that surgery on board HM ships was noticeably more successful than similar operations carried out on land at the time, due to the relative absence of ghastly infections at sea.

Tom

[partlyscot]

With the first surgery, it was a female cardiologist and she was brutal. When I mentioned the pain, I was told I would just have to "suck it up". She would have been a good fit as a ship's doctor in the Royal Navy circa 1700 - giving the patient a swig of run and something to bite on before an amputation.

I suppose the blessing is that I've had a whole load of expensive treatment and four weeks in three different hospitals and it hasn't cost me a penny.

From my GF reports Female Gynecological doctors and surgeons are even worse to female patients, which seems strange to me. My GF has Endometriosis, and before her last exploratory surgery, the surgeon was much like yours, "Suck it up" After, when she brought the pictures in to discuss things she was very apologetic. "Worst case she'd ever seen"

I don't know if mine was worse or not, they did say they were surprised I was standing up, never mind getting on the bus and walking into hospital. Felt like crap, and walking up a slight hill was about the best I could do. Normally they scrape you of the sidewalk and throw you in the ambulance. The lady who came into ER shortly after me was same age, same diagnosis, but came in on a gurney and barely made sense. They never actually put in a temporary pacemaker before the operation, and they had a hell of a time adjusting the heart monitor not to alarm constantly. Once I was in bed my pulse settled in at about 24-26bpm. I was in the cardiac unit for a full day, as that other patient I mentioned bumped me off the schedule, (makes sense, she was obviously much worse off) every time a new nurse came into check on me they took one look at the readings and freaked out. Rushing around doing all the checks, before calming down then I think going back to the desk to give the other nurses **** for not warning them.

Gotta love Canadian Healthcare, have had 2 high end (MRI compatible pacemakers with no payments and not one word about whether I needed one or which type. Doc says it's a good idea so that's what I get. It wasn't even approved in the US when I got the first.