Pacing wires

[JSCAPM]

Hi - hoping someone can help.

My partner had a CABG nine months ago; one of his wounds hasn’t healed and is constantly infected. He saw the surgeon at Wythenshawe last week and was told that the pacing wires hadn’t been removed (he was very apologetic so we assume it was a mistake) and are causing problems. The surgeon said he can’t remove them now as that could cause internal bleeding and is instead going to cut them down. Not sure if that’s the technical term!

My question is around the surgery. Is it just day surgery or will it involve a stay in hospital again? We were thinking it might be a quick procedure but he’s had a letter for a pre-op which is identical to the one he received before the original surgery. We’ve lost confidence in the team at Wythenshawe as they saw him last October and were adamant that nothing had been left in the wound, even though various other healthcare professionals thought it had.

I’m planning to speak to the BHF helpline before I contact Wythenshawe but thought I’d ask here in case anyone has experienced this.

Many thanks.

[ancient1914]

I recently had my 4th device implanted. The first ICD implant was in 2000 and this time one of the original wires had corroded and needed to be replaced. They couldn't remove it because after all the years it had been in place it had fixed firmly to the side of my heart and there is a huge danger that when attempting to pull it out that it will tear the wall of the heart. So it was cut down and capped. That particular action was no great deal. Apparently it is quite normal. Less that 10% of wires that need to be replaced are actually removed. The rest are cut and capped.

Best of luck

[Mancunian1 in reply to ancient1914]

I’m fairly sure mine were t capped as I can see it sharply protruding when lay flat and its sharp. Think they were poked back under my skin…

[JSCAPM in reply to ancient1914]

Thanks ancient1914. What you’ve said about the ICD wires echoes what the surgeon said about not removing the pacing wires.

[Mancunian1]

hi

The exact same thing happened to me last September after my double CABG, at the same hospital and I was told they need to be left in, no offer to take out. It makes me wonder now whether I should have insisted? Definitely I’d say follow up on this as I can feel mine when I am lay down and it’s painful. The nurse removing them was being supervised and I think she panicked when they wouldn’t come out easily. Surgeon later told me the body would “envelop” them but I can still feel it. Feel free to message me directly, and we can chat further.

[JSCAPM in reply to Mancunian1]

Thanks Mancunian1. Interesting that this seems to have happened to you at the same hospital. I’ll message you direct.

[Wingnutty]

In my unprofessional opinion, it would be negligent to tell someone they were removed when they weren't. Surely they would have done a number of chest x-rays during the recovery in hospital and they would show up on that, so they must have known. When mine were taken out, a nurse tried to pull them out but was worried that she was putting too much strain on the wires, but they got a doctor on the job later and he had no problem. Both out in the space of a minute.

[Mancunian1 in reply to Wingnutty]

I’ve spoken to BHF nurses today who were surprised the wire was left in and advised to go back to consultant and ask them to reassess the benefit against risk of removal now or anything else that can be done with them, which I am planning to do.

[Queserasera25 in reply to Wingnutty]

Same. A Nurse starting to take mine out but you could see that she felt a little nervous so the Surgeon, who was on the Ward at the time, came and showed her exactly how to do it! 😀

[JSCAPM in reply to Wingnutty]

Thanks Wingnutty. To be fair, I don’t think anyone told my partner they’d been removed. He said all along it didn’t feel right but it was only when the wound became infected that several healthcare professionals said they thought there might be something left. When he saw the surgeon last week after having been referred by the GP, the surgeon immediately identified the problem as having been caused by retained pacing wires.

[OK10]

Hi. I had my cab4 last september and did not have that kind of a problem. Wires around the sternum were left in and i never felt them. At the beginning i had a bad sneeze one day and the wound opened up a bit but it healed after a week or so with no infection.Obviously i don't know but what you say does not sound right. I would press to go on and see the surgeon i were you.

Good luck.

[JSCAPM in reply to OK10]

Thanks OK10., glad it worked for you. It must have been scary when the wound opened up.

I think the wires around the sternum are left in, but the wires that are causing the problem in my partner’s case are those that attached the temporary defibrillator immediately after the surgery. I believe those should have been removed at the time. The surgeon is now planning to cut them down.

[PadThaiNoodles]

My pacing wires were removed on the third day. Slipped right out.

Not so my chest drains. Nurse stood on my chest while they backed a land rover up and chained my chest drains up to the tow hitch… OK, maybe that’s not quite how it happened. But it sure felt along those lines.

[bananaman2 in reply to PadThaiNoodles]

My vision was very similar😂

[Eeee13]

that doesn’t sound good

There are 2 types of wireless pacemakers available one is by Medtronic.

Can be implanted via catheter through groin artery you can have more than one and they can talk to each other.

If it won’t heal might be worth looking into having it removed and replaced with wireless.

I might end up with one but the wires/battery and what can go wrong scares the hell out of me. I know I will end up catching something it or knocking it as I’m self employed and do a very manual job

I have one of the worlds smallest most accurate wireless cardiac monitors injected in my chest for last 9 months cos my heart is so screwed up and it’s so hard for me not to knock it. Leaning over something. Carrying boxes. Have to think about everything. Can sympathise with you.

Wish you the best