@snc6007
Have you compared your pacemaker pain to certain movements or pressure on it. I have had one for over 20 years. If I move my arms a certain way I get pain. Sometimes sharp sometimes dull. Your body will tell you when certain movements are the source. It is good to remember you have a foreign device in your body so you are going to feel discomfort if you aggravate the tissues and muscles around it. Again comes from my EP.

If you lay on your pacemaker you can also cause pressure on it and it will hurt. I do water aerobics 5 days a week. Even though I have had a pacemaker for 20 years (on my 3rd device) I still cannot do certain movements of my left arm without causing pain.

The mechanical heart you talk of is the device (heart bypass) that completely takes over of your heart pumping blood throughout your body. When you have any surgery of the heart you can disrupt normal electrical flow of your heart.

Your heart (per my HF doctor) has an automatic pulsing. It will beat at 82 bpm after heart transplants. Never goes up or down as the nerves going to brain are no longer connected. Why your heart would not start is another matter but could be from surgery have no idea as not a medical expert but a question you should have your cardiologist answer.

The biggest threat of AFIB is stroke. The strokes happen because blood will clot in atrium because is not pumping blood out. Then the clot can travel to your brain, lungs, etc. which is life threating not the AFIB. I think your cardiologist was trying to say this but not in a good way for your to understand.

A cardiologist will prescribed a blood thinner or anti clotting medications if you have sustained AFIB. I had AFIB on and off and not until I had sustained AFIB for 4 hours did they put me on Eliquis.