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Pacemaker recipients: Looking for support from others
Pacemaker & ICDs | Last Active: May 3 7:01pm | Replies (521)Comment receiving replies
@jc76 My pacemaker is very close to the surface as I do not have a lot of fat to pad it. In addition, I am highly allergic to nickel which the pacemakers have from what I understand and I do itch often in that area. They had no choice because they didn't have the leadless pacemakers at the time. I went into complete heart block after my surgery. They had me on an external pacemaker for 4 days but my heart never started so...
I've discussed with my cardiologist and he doesn't like the risk of going in and replacing the pacemaker until it is absolutely necessary.
Replies to "@jc76 My pacemaker is very close to the surface as I do not have a lot..."
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@snc6007
When my EP was deciding on my surgery he chose to put my device below my chest muscle. He did this because I did not have enough skin and fat in chest area to put below skin.
I don't think devices are nickel. However you can check with manufacturer of your device (all of them have web sites) where you can asked questions. I have a Boston Scientific device and have gone on their web site to asked question many times.
My EP stated it takes a year for the body to encapsulate the device. This encapsulation is the body reacting to a foreign device. It will help with the feeling of something there but it does take time.