S-ICD

[Sprinty_Nige]

Hi,Had my subcutaneous ICD fitted just over a month ago. So thought I'd post to let anyone else having one know how it is living with one.

Firstly I am doing fine, it was weird at first having a box inside me, but you soon just get on with it.

The box is placed a little bit further back than flat on your side. I have a bit of a hump 😲

If I forget and lay on my left side in bed I can feel the pressure, but it isn't painful.

Glad to get back driving, but the sports seats in my partners car wrap around, and that is annoying on a long journey. Not painful, but a bit sore.

The operation was a breeze, I actually was out, even when they made my heart go stupid to test the device fired okay. I was back at home the same day.

I have a box that I keep plugged in next to the bed. During the night it contacts my implant wirelessly and then uses its own Vodafone SIM to send the info up to the cloud. The unit took a while to connect when fresh out the box, and had to do a series of updates to itself.

Sometimes I get up before it's connected but there is no way of telling. When I get home from work there will be a light on letting know it needs to connect, so just push a button and sit still for a few minutes.

I think the worst thing was the realisation that the experts thought I needed a box in the first place. Especially as I had walked to the top of Mt Snowdon earlier in the year.

So now I mostly forget it's there unless something chaffes against it, or my partner forgets and gives me a big hug!

If anyone has any questions, ask away.

[Blearyeyed]

Thanks so much for the update , glad you are recovering well , take care , gentle hug , Bee

[Gp0c]

I had my ICD fitted 2 weeks ago and all appears good, it sticks out a bit further than I would like but hey ho....... It's life, having a discussion with Dvla as to whether I can drive after one month rather than six but again I have to go with what they say, mine was fitted as a precaution after having a cardiac arrest 5 days after having a successful ablation or was it........I doubt we'll ever know but that's what is being blamed.Anyway good luck in the future Sprinty_Nige and take it easy

[Bingo88]

Good morning Nige. I also had to have a pacemaker and decided to be fully awake instead of half and half. And like you found it easier experience than going to the dentist. I was also diagnosed with Severe copd as well which was more of a concern. So just forget about the pacemaker. Hope you keep well now. Brian

[EmmJayTea]

Welcome to the ICD club! Sounds like you are having a positive experience on the whole and long may this continue. 😀 It is a deeply fascinating, somewhat strange (and slightly scary!) experience to go through.

S-ICDs are an amazing development and sound so much easier to manage. I was lined up for one, except my bradycardia meant I needed a dual-chamber job. So mine ended up being transvenous. I share your sentiments about lying on it and hugging. I also have to be careful with seatbelts and rucksack straps across my left pectoralis muscle, as they rub the sub-clavian area where the leads enter the vein and this can be excruciatingly painful.

Good luck and thanks for sharing your experience here!

[Tezz12]

Hi, great to hear you’re getting on okay with your S-ICD. I am due to have one fitted and just wanted to ask is there anything you feel you can’t do now? I am very sporty and in my 30’s, so am a little worried but I just wondered if you can still move freely and lift stuff/ walk / run at pace without the S-ICD getting in the way? Would you say you’ve had any limitations on your movement from it or problems with magnets please?

Thank you!! Hope you’ve recovered well now 😀

[Sprinty_Nige]

Hi Tezz,I don't think the device has stopped me doing anything to be honest. Gym and Snowdon, riding MTB on red graded route etc. worst I get is a little bit sore if I drive for over two hours straight as I have sports seats in the car. My constraint is my heart, certainly not the device. I hope you find the same and can carry on with as normal a life as possible.