Steps in the Recovery of a Cardiac Pacing Device

• 1
  Keep an open mind and an open heart during recovery.my heart is not free. my heart is open. image by Andrey Khritin from Fotolia.com
  
  Rest your arm on the side the device was implanted. If your arm is sore, especially up around your collar bone, rest it on a pillow in a position of comfort.
  
  
• 2
  Yeah! I pulled my pacemaker leads out because I couldn't restrain myself from raising my arms above my head!reach for the sky image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  Movement of your arm on the implanted side must be restricted. Do not put your arm above shoulder level. The leads in your heart that are connected to the pacemaker have not properly anchored in the cardiac tissue within the first 2 weeks. Lifting your arm can cause the leads to pull out, and then another surgery is necessary to put them back in place.
  
  
• 3
  You might as well drive yourself back to the hospital if you have an accident in the first two weeks.driving 4 image by Andrzej Borowicz from Fotolia.com
  
  Driving is out of the question. The routine placement of the pacemaker is on the left side. The seat belt in most vehicles will strike your shoulder over the pacemaker. An accident can cause damage to the device in the first few weeks, especially since the incision is freshly stitched. Also, using the steering wheel can cause the pacemaker wires to move, and, again, it will take another surgery to re-anchor them.
  
  
• 4
  Don't even think about it.Playing Golf image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
  
  Stop any activity that calls for or causes a sweeping motion of your arm. This means no vacuuming, golfing, or any other brisk back-and-forth motion of the extremity nearest the implant. It's the same for lifting objects. If the item you plan on lifting is heavier than a jug of milk, someone else needs to do it for you.
  
  
• 5
  Make certain you finish your full round of antibiotics.pills image by Allyson Ricketts from Fotolia.com
  
  Take all the medication that is prescribed to you in the hospital. One of the pills you will be prescribed is an antibiotic. It's important to take the entire course of the medication. The pacemaker leads travel directly into your heart, and you have an open wound at the insertion site. These two factors can be deadly without antibiotics.
  
  
• 6
  Keep the wound clean, dry, and unrestricted from binding clothes.Plaster image by Star from Fotolia.com
  
  Keep the wound clean and dry. There may be some discharge from the incision, as a little amount of fluid is commonplace. A lot of oozing and/or foul smelling discharge isn't. Change adhesive pads as needed, or if a lot of moisture, like perspiration, collects in the non-stick pad.
  
  
• 7
  In two to three weeks following insertion of your pacemaker, you will need to follow up with the implanting physician.stethoscope image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  Follow-up with your device clinic and/or cardiologist in two to three weeks. Adjustments with your device will be needed and will take place during your first follow-up visit. At the time of implant, the output of the pacemaker is turned up much more than what is necessary. The reason for this is to help the cardiac tissue around the leads acclimate to the foreign object. If you do not follow up with the doctor or device clinic, the pacemaker battery will deplete well before it should.
  
  
• 8
  Over-the-phone pacemaker checks take about 10 minutes and are part of living with a device.phone. image by Alexander Lukyanov from Fotolia.com
  
  Ask the device clinic when you will start over-the-phone pacemaker testing. This testing is done about once a month, and the technician doing the testing will check the device's battery life over the phone. Make sure you keep all appointments or reschedule if you can't be home.