Tweet
[icd surgery]
Author: terri (---.tribune.com)
Date: 09-24-02 14:16
Our 12-year-old daughter's ICD implant is scheduled for Thursday in Minneapolis. We're supposed to let the surgeon know tomorrow if we want it under the skin or submuscularly. We're leaning toward the latter given that any 12-year-old girl is very body conscious. But given the extra pain and recovery time for an implant done submuscularly, I'd like to hear opinions on how visible the device is, and the scars, for that matter. I know everyone says it's not noticeable underneath clothes, but my concerns are bathing suits, prom dresses, etc. What does it look like not hidden under clothes.
Thanks
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[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-24-02 14:42
My husband's looks a little bulgy, and the scar is about 3" long. It isn't raised or red. The only thing I would ask the doctor about if you do go subcutaneous and not submuscular is how close to the edge of her chest he puts it. My husband's got closer to the edge than the doc wanted and the bottom left corner sometimes sticks out enough to rub on things and bruise the skin. The healing time wasn't too bad for the subcutaneous method for us. I hope that helps you.
Reenie
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[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-24-02 14:50
Also, just something to think about, is that you will have to replace the device every 6 years or so. It's not worth cutting that muscle every 6 years indefinitely. The recovery time will be longer, you run the risk of having the muscle not lay right, etc. It's just my opinion. I will be thinking about her tomorrow. Good luck. Please let us know how she does with the surgery.
Reenie
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[Re: icd surgery]
Author: terri (---.tribune.com)
Date: 09-24-02 15:32
I didn't think they cut the muscle....I thought they slipped it in between. Does anyone know?
Terri
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[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Barbara (---.triad.rr.com)
Date: 09-24-02 15:32
I had an inplant 2 years ago and you dont really notice it through clothes. You can notice it a little with a bathing suit on but not all that much. Tank tops and things like that usually cover it pretty well. I don't know that I would do the muscle thing. It's really not bad. I was very concerned over the same things being a female and wearing sundress and tank tops. I think she will be fine.
Take care,
Barb
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[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Sarah B.-Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-24-02 16:24
Hi
2 things:
Check out zaplife.org and call the doctor's office and ask them what exactly the surgery entails in terms of placement. Subpectoral placement sounds like it is under but has been described as being embedded, so I'm sorry I can't answer that.
Sarah
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[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Dolly (Andrew's mom) (---.pressenter.com)
Date: 09-24-02 23:15
Hi Terri,
My son Andrew (will be 13 in a week) had his ICD implanted at Children's of Minneapolis when he was 9. (Is that were your daughter is going?) Anyway, Andrew had his implanted under the muscle. And due to being left handed it was also placed in the right side, instead of the normal left. They did a wonderful job with Andrew's and there were no complications. It is not noticable through his shirts at all! It is really hidden well.
His pain only lasted for about the first week. After that it was all we could do to keep him slowed down for the required healing time.
There are a few more risks involved with this type of implant, but everything went great for Andrew.
Good luck in your decision! I know it is double hard when you have to make the decision for someone else, especially your child!!
Let us know how it all goes!!
Dolly
Mom to Andrew (HOCM)
Myectomy in '96
ICD implant in '99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: mary (---.webcache.tds.net)
Date: 09-26-02 11:26
my son was 14 when he had his icd placed one year ago. He has it in the subq tissue in his chest. He is tall and thin-6 ft 155 lbs. I think it sticks out quite a bit and he has a 3 inch, raised, red scar. It doesn't seem to bother him one bit. I do have concern as he carries a back pack and the strap goes over the device. He tries to keep it on the other arm but it gets tired so he switches.
A girl who is a preteen is an entirely different story...especially if she will want to be swimming with her friends and wearing all the cute little fashion shirts the girls wear today. It is hard enough to be a teen , have a chronic illness and have a noticeable physical reminder of an icd sticking out. I would vote to have it placed as inconpicously as possibe.
Mary, mother of a son who is 15 with hcom, icd/pacemaker
.
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[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Vonnie (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-28-02 04:53
I have had replament of my pacemaker--which is the same size of the icd. Mine is imbeaded in my left breast and does not show at all--tho as I am getting older and everything is going south--i am more aware of it.
The doc used the same pocket to replace the old pacemaker==2 yrs old--replaced becaues my single sensor motion pacer could not keep up with me.
I had an ablation of my av node so I am 100% paced all the time. I rarely think of it--I also have cardiomyopathy and mod valular disease== and secondary pulmonary hypertension,but am doing very well.
I am a hospice nurse and work full time, and have too much on my mind dealing with my families as they go thru life's last phase to worry about myself==but I have a great cardiologists in Houston and we keep in contact about all my meds and symptoms and once a year I have an echo and all the work up--I have lived with this for 7 years not and feel better all the time.
Hopefully things will go well for your daughter--kids and young people adjust well to these things.One thing I learned is to carry my purse on my right side--otherwise I was in pain from the weigh of it--my doc had told me this but habits are hard to break so when I had it replaced I just made myself use my right shoulder for my purse.
Peace and grace to you and your daughter. As the daughter of a wonderful Mother who is 83 years young and has spent her life trying to keep me alive--I will say a special prayer for you. Mom!
Vonnie
Author: terri (---.tribune.com)
Date: 09-24-02 14:16
Our 12-year-old daughter's ICD implant is scheduled for Thursday in Minneapolis. We're supposed to let the surgeon know tomorrow if we want it under the skin or submuscularly. We're leaning toward the latter given that any 12-year-old girl is very body conscious. But given the extra pain and recovery time for an implant done submuscularly, I'd like to hear opinions on how visible the device is, and the scars, for that matter. I know everyone says it's not noticeable underneath clothes, but my concerns are bathing suits, prom dresses, etc. What does it look like not hidden under clothes.
Thanks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-24-02 14:42
My husband's looks a little bulgy, and the scar is about 3" long. It isn't raised or red. The only thing I would ask the doctor about if you do go subcutaneous and not submuscular is how close to the edge of her chest he puts it. My husband's got closer to the edge than the doc wanted and the bottom left corner sometimes sticks out enough to rub on things and bruise the skin. The healing time wasn't too bad for the subcutaneous method for us. I hope that helps you.
Reenie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Reenie Smith (---.snbrca.adelphia.net)
Date: 09-24-02 14:50
Also, just something to think about, is that you will have to replace the device every 6 years or so. It's not worth cutting that muscle every 6 years indefinitely. The recovery time will be longer, you run the risk of having the muscle not lay right, etc. It's just my opinion. I will be thinking about her tomorrow. Good luck. Please let us know how she does with the surgery.
Reenie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: terri (---.tribune.com)
Date: 09-24-02 15:32
I didn't think they cut the muscle....I thought they slipped it in between. Does anyone know?
Terri
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Barbara (---.triad.rr.com)
Date: 09-24-02 15:32
I had an inplant 2 years ago and you dont really notice it through clothes. You can notice it a little with a bathing suit on but not all that much. Tank tops and things like that usually cover it pretty well. I don't know that I would do the muscle thing. It's really not bad. I was very concerned over the same things being a female and wearing sundress and tank tops. I think she will be fine.
Take care,
Barb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Sarah B.-Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-24-02 16:24
Hi
2 things:
Check out zaplife.org and call the doctor's office and ask them what exactly the surgery entails in terms of placement. Subpectoral placement sounds like it is under but has been described as being embedded, so I'm sorry I can't answer that.
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Dolly (Andrew's mom) (---.pressenter.com)
Date: 09-24-02 23:15
Hi Terri,
My son Andrew (will be 13 in a week) had his ICD implanted at Children's of Minneapolis when he was 9. (Is that were your daughter is going?) Anyway, Andrew had his implanted under the muscle. And due to being left handed it was also placed in the right side, instead of the normal left. They did a wonderful job with Andrew's and there were no complications. It is not noticable through his shirts at all! It is really hidden well.
His pain only lasted for about the first week. After that it was all we could do to keep him slowed down for the required healing time.
There are a few more risks involved with this type of implant, but everything went great for Andrew.
Good luck in your decision! I know it is double hard when you have to make the decision for someone else, especially your child!!
Let us know how it all goes!!
Dolly
Mom to Andrew (HOCM)
Myectomy in '96
ICD implant in '99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: mary (---.webcache.tds.net)
Date: 09-26-02 11:26
my son was 14 when he had his icd placed one year ago. He has it in the subq tissue in his chest. He is tall and thin-6 ft 155 lbs. I think it sticks out quite a bit and he has a 3 inch, raised, red scar. It doesn't seem to bother him one bit. I do have concern as he carries a back pack and the strap goes over the device. He tries to keep it on the other arm but it gets tired so he switches.
A girl who is a preteen is an entirely different story...especially if she will want to be swimming with her friends and wearing all the cute little fashion shirts the girls wear today. It is hard enough to be a teen , have a chronic illness and have a noticeable physical reminder of an icd sticking out. I would vote to have it placed as inconpicously as possibe.
Mary, mother of a son who is 15 with hcom, icd/pacemaker
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: icd surgery]
Author: Vonnie (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 09-28-02 04:53
I have had replament of my pacemaker--which is the same size of the icd. Mine is imbeaded in my left breast and does not show at all--tho as I am getting older and everything is going south--i am more aware of it.
The doc used the same pocket to replace the old pacemaker==2 yrs old--replaced becaues my single sensor motion pacer could not keep up with me.
I had an ablation of my av node so I am 100% paced all the time. I rarely think of it--I also have cardiomyopathy and mod valular disease== and secondary pulmonary hypertension,but am doing very well.
I am a hospice nurse and work full time, and have too much on my mind dealing with my families as they go thru life's last phase to worry about myself==but I have a great cardiologists in Houston and we keep in contact about all my meds and symptoms and once a year I have an echo and all the work up--I have lived with this for 7 years not and feel better all the time.
Hopefully things will go well for your daughter--kids and young people adjust well to these things.One thing I learned is to carry my purse on my right side--otherwise I was in pain from the weigh of it--my doc had told me this but habits are hard to break so when I had it replaced I just made myself use my right shoulder for my purse.
Peace and grace to you and your daughter. As the daughter of a wonderful Mother who is 83 years young and has spent her life trying to keep me alive--I will say a special prayer for you. Mom!
Vonnie