A Primer for New Pacemaker or Defibrillator Patients

For people who get the beneficial therapy of a pacemaker or defibrillator, the first few weeks of being a "pacemaker person" can be a struggle. The good news is that your life won't be all that different from what it was before. All it takes is a little courage to ease into your new lifestyle.

Healing from the surgery usually is complete in four to eight weeks after surgery, depending on the individual case. Once the pacemaker or defibrillator is implanted in the body, a lot of people report that they do not feel all that different. 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. People with pacemakers are almost always allowed to return to driving (once they are healed from surgery) but sometimes people with defibrillators are asked to give up driving, perhaps for a few weeks or perhaps for good. The driving restriction has nothing to do with the defibrillator, but for the underlying heart condition. Certain defibrillator people have a heart condition that puts them at risk of passing out suddenly; 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.

If you had a pacemaker implanted, the company that manufactured your pacemaker should send you a special card identifying you as a pacemaker person. It will arrive by mail about eight weeks after your implant. 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.