Infected pacemaker pocket

[outofpocket2]

I am a  66 year old male about 153 lbs. and my pacer is four years old. Almost from the beginning I have had sharp pain at a particular spot on the top side of my pacer whenever I move my left arm a certain way. My doctor kept dismissing it as not related to the pacer. However, it recently got a lot worse and finally opened a small wound at that spot. The wound does not bleed but it does ooze a clear liquid and that spot has attached itself to the pacer so that the pacer pulls on the wound. Sometimes it scabs over and is fine for a few days.

Then it became infected and spread very quickly throughout the whole left side of my chest. I am now driving to the hospital three time a day for an injection of antibiotic. The infection is slowly clearing up but the doctor says he will have to remove the pacer completely for a time. I have Bradycardia, so that means my heart rate will go back to about 40 BPM.

My question is this: Can't they do surgery to find out why that spot is attached to the pacer and fix it? My doctor says because I am skinny the pacer sags down too low. Can't the pacer be attached to the collar bone to hold it up?

outofpocket2

[stosh47]

My pacemaker was removed, very painful, because there was e-coli on it! I am on a med for the bradycardia while waiting for the wound to heal. Then the doc will put one in the right side. I think if that gets infected to I might own the hospital!!!!!!   Serious,  I am going on 65 and have enough age problems and dont need this.

[nance606]

My father recently was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of Septic Shock, and Pneumonia with empyema (The accumulation of Pus in a body cavity) especially in the plueral cavity. They also told us his pacemaker was infected. He had been hospitalized for the plueral effusion in past and drained and struggled with fluid build up. Why they didnt know this was coming in advance I will never understand... My opinion is the more times you see the doctors, specialists, test, procedures etc, etc, etc; the more money is being made by the medical care system.... And by the way its the patients with the better insurance having more appointments and prescribed meds and unnecessary procedures. And these are the very patients that I see are never taken seriously when they are reporting real existing symptoms... I find the health care system less believable than ever..... God help us when its our turn and need medical help.......

[MSZS]

My 81 year old mother has the same problem - minus the outward spot of infection.  She has been dismissed for almost 2 years when she complains of the pains and exhaustion she experiences.  She is very thin and they say that the pacemaker doesn't have any fat to surround it.  What do you suggest I do to get her the help she needs?