What to expect during pacemaker surgery

[@stevejohnson43]

I'm getting a Pacemaker this coming Thursday. I'm mostly looking forward to it, but I think it's normal to be a little scared. I have Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure. It's really comforting to hear it from someone who has been through it. Thanks for Your Story!

[@CyborgVlog]

Steve, It is normal to be nervous about any procedure with your heart. I was also happy to get it done, because I took comfort that I had a device to help me. I'm interested to know about your experience during the procedure, and I wish you the best on Thursday!

[@EarthAngel04]

U seem like such a brave n positive person. Thank u for sharing. My father getting it every 7 years for the fourth time

[@CyborgVlog]

I try to be, thanks for sharing and watching!

[@EarthAngel04]

CyborgVlog can I ask if u r diabetic or have a history of high blood pressure. Cause my father is diabetic n never had high bp n all of a sudden his bp going high n tablets aren’t helping it

[@CyborgVlog]

@@EarthAngel04 I am not diabetic. My blood pressure is a little high, but is controlled by medication. I'm trying to get off of the medication through eating better and exercise.

[@michaelholland665]

getting wired up tomorrow at noon, at 30 im a couple years younger than you were when you got yours but same deal, they caught 7 second pauses in my sleep so if its gotta happen, better now than later. you and a couple other younger folks w/ pm's ive been talkin to have been an absolute godsend at helping me calm down through all this!

[@CyborgVlog]

It certainly does come as a surprise for the doctor to tell you that you need to get a pacemaker at a young age. The good thing is that people live long and normal lives with pacemakers. In fact, it can be seen as a good thing that the issue was found and doctors can do something about it. I hope you have a speedy recovery, and please update us on how you are doing. Thanks for sharing, and I’m glad the videos helped.

[@RaoulDuke504RC]

Hey, just wanted to say I’m getting a pacemaker Friday and your videos have been very helpful and informative! Thanks!

[@CyborgVlog]

Thanks for letting me know they were helpful, that’s why I make them. I hope you have a speedy recovery. Let me know how it goes.

[@traceysmith1967]

It went fine thank you still recovering

[@charleyl264]

I'm back home spending one day at the hospital after having 2 more stents in large arteries that were 90%+ closed . Both were opened to about 80% clear. It was a rough day, but I'm already feeling great. I have a hole in the artery of my left wrist that I need to be careful to heal for the next week or so, and an IV hole in my right elbow that is less of a healing problem. These stents are #8 & 9 for me. It was a rough day, but turned out to be much less than I was expecting, since my heart doctor had said that he had done about all he could for me, I was expecting to be referred to a heart surgeon for another bypass surgery. Over the next week I'll be letting the wounds heal, and learning just how much improvement I get from this.

[@CyborgVlog]

Hi CharleyL, I’m really glad to hear from you! Sorry to here that it was a rough day, but it sounds like it had a good outcome. I hope you can rest comfortably as you recover. Best wishes, and I hope you continue to improve!

[@johnloeser9730]

Well presented 👍

[@CyborgVlog]

Thank you

[@geoffmower8729]

Hi I had my pacemaker implanted on the right side because I'm a guitarist and the guitar strap would have been over the top of the pacemaker. I recently had my pacemaker replaced after ten years of faithful service. The worst part was the injections of local anis etic very painful as they were put in. Because I was quite calm the DR told me if I didn't have the sedative I would recover faster and go home sooner so I chose not to have it. The operation went quite smoothly the new pacemaker was a bit larger than the old one and the DR had to make the pocket larger. The new pacemaker should last 14 - 15 years and comes with a bedside unit that monitors my pacemaker and sends information directly to the surgeon cutting the amount of times having to go into hospital for tests. The new pacemaker is a Boston scientific as was the old one.

[@ericb.davenport9762]

Thank you so much for this wonderful video. I hope you are well.

[@CyborgVlog]

I'm doing well, thanks for the kind words and for watching!

[@tdk1938]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I just received my Pacemaker and came home yesterday. My cardiologist referred me to another doctor for Pacemaker implantation. That doctor is Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist. He is the one that taking care of Pacemaker procedure and also monitoring my heart after I came home. I don’t know about you but I don’t like so many restrictions for a few weeks after the operation that we have to follow.

[@CyborgVlog]

Hi T Kyo, I hope you are doing good now that you are home. The restrictions are not fun, but as you heal over the next few months it will get easier. I had a hard time remembering not to lift heavy things. I would wear an arm sling as a reminder not to use my left arm. Thanks for watching and commenting, best wishes!

[@MrStarbor]

Hey pal , thank you for your time I am still reluctant to proceed thou I know the procedure is not painful, but scared...

[@CyborgVlog]

St. Arbor, it’s natural to be worried, but it’s a common procedure. I’m sure you’ll be fine, and the procedure goes very quickly. I hope you the best, and thanks for the feedback on the video.

[@igotbandaids]

I 'interrogated" the cardiac electrophysiologist about pacemakers for my loved one. I am a hard one to 'sell' since I have a medical background. Because I didn't want them to have one but I realized in the end that their health needed it to return to a normal lifestyle. Apparently, it is rather common---I can't find 'new' info on stats for you so here's an old stat: Each year, approximately 200,000 pacemakers are implanted in the United States. www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/03/23/08/09/permanent-leadless-cardiac-pacing Plus, it was invented before 1960s, so they've had a lot of time to improve them. Also, you can do a check on your doctor and see what his other patients say, his medical background. Educate yourself to soothe your decision on it. You may be holding back a chance to have a normal healthier lifestyle.

[@traceysmith1967]

I want to thank you for your responses it means a lot

[@CyborgVlog]

Your welcome, thanks for watching and sharing.

[@DeviantMotives]

Thanks for this detailed video.

[@CyborgVlog]

Thank you for the feedback! Right before my surgery I was looking for information and didn't find a whole lot. That's why I decided to make some videos about it. Good to know someone is watching.

[@sheilareynolds3755]

they give you a "hypnotic" drug. That's why you can't remember anything...it's great!

[@CyborgVlog]

Sheila Reynolds, yes it really worked! Thanks for watching.

[@nadiamccall4311]

Thank you so much for this.

[@CyborgVlog]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@doctorrobert60]

I had pacemaker implanted past December 2020. I had some discomfort that was just tolerable and just before I asked for better pain control it was finished. It has been almost 7 months and the chest wall is still sensitive and occasionally with movement of the left chest or left arm such as when driving.

[@CyborgVlog]

Mine was sensitive for a while, but continued to get better each week. Today I don’t feel any discomfort. Hopefully your discomfort level drops as time goes on. Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@doctorrobert60]

@@CyborgVlog I hope so. Thanks for your feedback on your experience.

[@CyborgVlog]

Sure thing, let us know how you are doing in a few weeks.

[@MrColburn123]

Thank you..good info

[@CyborgVlog]

Thanks for watching and letting me know it was helpful.

[@sushmakumar3178]

Hi, Your videos are so good and detailed. Really helpful I have been diagnosed with AV node block My heart rate fluctuates between 45 to 58 whole through the day. Hence doctor suggested I should get a pacemaker implanted. Iam freaking out thinking about having a pacemaker for the rest of my life. There is no history of any heart disease in mu family. Nor this is congenital. Doctors doesn't know whybthis has happened. Iam 39 years old. I have lotsbif questions regarding pacemaker Will it affect lifespan? Will I be able to do normal activities like walking, cooking and other stuff Can I use cellphones and wifi, headphones, earphones and other bluetooth devices Can I take calls on the left side of my ear since pacemaker will be implanted there How long does it take to recover from the surgery? Iam. Really freaking out. Your feedback will be really helpful.

[@sushmakumar3178]

And to add on... Iam worried about lead replacement in future. I know battery needs to be replaced every 8 to 10 years.. But what about the leads. Since lead wires would have been attached completely into the tiisues of heart.. Will replacing the lead nit cause any problem. Will it be a major surgery when they have to replace the leads after 15 to 20 years? Will they leave the old leads ans put a new one or take out the existing one and then put a new one. Iam extremely worried about this lead replacement surgery Please share your inputs about this

[@CyborgVlog]

Hi, thanks for sharing your thoughts and questions. It is a scary time when you hear that you need a pacemaker, I had the same concerns. I worried that I couldn’t do what I wanted anymore, I was scared I would die soon. It is normal to have all these feelings and concerns. In my experience, after the recovery period from implant surgery, I went back to doing everything I wanted. I have no restrictions on my everyday life activities. Modern pacemakers are well shielded from electromagnetic fields, and phones, Bluetooth, and WiFi are fine to use. Each pacemaker manufacturer has recommended distances to keep from strong magnetic fields, but it is usually only about 6-8 inches. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and ask if a certain pacemaker would be better, I have a MRI safe pacemaker. I too was freaking out about having wires in my heart for the rest of my life. My doctor told me that people live full lifespans with pacemakers. Some people have them from infancy. The leads are designed to last longer than the pacemaker unit,and it can be attached to the existing leads as long as they are operating within specifications. If the leads need replacement, they can be surgically removed, but doing so depends on your specific situation and a doctor would have to decide what is best. My surgery only took about an hour, I have other videos on my channel talking about that day and recovery. I hope these answers have been helpful and make you feel a little less worried. I now see the pacemaker as a good thing that helps me live. My battery backup for my heart. I hope you can see it like that too in time. Best wishes, and let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks.

[@CyborgVlog]

Recovery takes about 6 weeks before you can lift heavy things, but I found the incision sore for a few weeks after that. I started walking about 2 weeks after surgery, but my chest muscle was sore. I eased back into exercise. After a few months, I didn’t even notice it any more. Sometimes I forget I have it.

[@sushmakumar3178]

Thank you so much for your feedback. Iam quite relieved reading your message. Currently doctor has given time to get it done.. As in I need to decide on the date when I would want to get it operated. So just preparing myself mentally for this and doing all possible research on it,so that iam sure and aware about what is being implanted inside my heart. Sure, will definitely get back to you if I have further doubts. I will update you about my status post operation. Hope I will be fine. I really appreciate your patience to reply to each one of them who messages you asking clarifications and questions regarding pacemaker implant. You truly are a genuine and honest person helping so many people like me ease their tension. God bless you with long and healthy life. Stay happy. Thank you so much again.. Will keep you posted on my status and recovery. Take care Regards

[@CyborgVlog]

Thanks for the positive feedback. I hope the best for you, take care, and I hope to hear from you in the future.

[@สุพจน์สูนพลอย-ห9ฃ]

Can I play football or will it affect the machine or the lead cable that will come off?

[@kennethclark3658]

No

[@HobbyOrganist]

I was completely out for mine

[@CyborgVlog]

Me too, that’s a good thing in my opinion.

[@valman008]

Thanks for the video! Can you raise your arm now? Is it possible to go back to weight training after pacemaker implant? Im a candidate

[@CyborgVlog]

I can raise my arm. After about 6-8 weeks I was off restrictions and back to my normal activities. I don't see why you couldn't get back to weight training after the implant. Just check with your doctor to see how long you should wait. I just passed the one year mark with my pacemaker, I talk a little more about it in this video I just posted kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJempoGfm5qpoJo. Thanks for watching, and good luck with your implant.

[@refugioruiz6707]

@@CyborgVlog why you get this surgery in the first place?

[@CyborgVlog]

​@@refugioruiz6707 I have bradycardia. More specifically I have periods of complete AV node block at night when I sleep. This means my heart can stop beating or "pause" for 5 -6 seconds. I talk about it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5zVn3ugo8h1kKs

[@jackieashe9124]

@@CyborgVlog I have just been diagnosed with the same as you but not sure about during the night and surgery is scheduled for Jan 30th - Being in Australia we drive on the other side so left sided placement is good for seat belt, but I have total hearing loss in my right ear so use my cell phone on the left and I also mainly sleep on my left side, but I am right handed - not sure where will be the best placement of the pacemaker :( thank you so much for your detailed videos and all the best to you! :)

[@CyborgVlog]

@@jackieashe9124, the only time the pacemaker really bothered me was during the recovery period. It is difficult to remember not to lift heavy things, so I would suggest getting it on the left side since you are right handed. Sleeping will be uncomfortable during the recovery period, but after that you shouldn't be bothered by the pacemaker too much. I hope the best for you on your surgery day, and a quick recovery. Good luck and let us know how you are doing after. Thanks for watching and joining the conversation in the comments!

[@conniearias9763]

Wedge pillow from Amazon works great for sleeping.

[@CyborgVlog]

Thanks for the tip, I have a body length pillow that works pretty well too.