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A Guide for New Pacemaker or Defibrillator Patients

By Jo Ann LeQuang

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 22Jul2009 Word count: 582 Viewed: 917 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

If you or someone you know just got an implantable pacemaker or defibrillator, the first few weeks as a pacemaker person can be a little bit challenging.

Healing from the surgery usually is complete in four to eight weeks after surgery, depending on the individual case. Many people report that they do not feel all that much different even after the pacemaker or defibrillator is implanted. Some people report feeling better, stronger, or more energetic. However, you should not feel worse.

The incision should be healing. While the scar may still be prominent, it should not be hot, red, angry-looking, or oozing. If it is, contact your doctor right away.

Your doctor probably gave you some advice about what to do and what not to do. While you may have some personalized instructions from your doctor, most patients are told to avoid anything that might cause a blow to the chest. The biggest thing to avoid is contact sports. The danger in a blow to the chest is that it could damage the pacemaker or defibrillator.

Pacemaker people can do most of the same things they did before getting the pacemaker or defibrillator. People with these implanted devices can work, participate in some sports, and travel. Driving is generally permitted for people with pacemakers, but if a defibrillator is implanted, some physicians will advise patients not to drive. The driving restriction has nothing to do with the defibrillator, but for the underlying heart condition. Some people who get a defibrillator are at risk of passing out from their heart condition; these are the people who are advised to not drive.

The same is true for swimming. Pacemaker people are almost always told they can go swimming, but those with defibrillators at risk of passing out from their heart condition may be advised not to swim to avoid the risk of drowning. The idea is that if a person suddenly loses consciousness in the water, he or she can sink and start to inhale underwater.

Pacemaker people should get an identification card from the company that built their device. This card is very useful to show to all other doctors and other health care workers, including nurses, chiropractors, dentists, and even massage therapists.

Going through airport security or other checkpoints is usually not a problem for people with pacemakers providing they have their pacemaker ID card handy. It is possible for pacemaker people to walk through the metal detector at security checkpoints providing they walk at a normal pace and don't stop right under the beam of the detector. Depending on the sensitivity of the metal detector and the person's build, the metal in the pacemaker or defibrillator may set off the alarm ... but it may not.

The best advice is to identify yourself as a pacemaker person and follow the instructions of security personnel.

Some pacemaker people report that shoulder-type seatbelts no longer feel comfortable because the strap hits right at the implant site. For these individuals, a bit of cushion or padding on the seatbelt can make for a more comfortable ride.

People with pacemakers and defibrillators can lead active lives with minimal disruption caused by their heart therapy. Every patient is different so pacemaker people should talk to their physicians with specific questions. But for people with certain kinds of heart disorders, there is no reason to think that life with a pacemaker or defibrillator will be diminished in any way compared to life without the needed therapy.

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