How is a leadless pacemaker put in place?
You will get medicine before the procedure. It helps you relax and helps prevent pain.
Your doctor doesn't need to make any cuts to do the procedure. Instead, the doctor uses a thin tube called a catheter. The pacemaker is placed inside the catheter. The doctor puts the catheter into a blood vessel in your groin. You will get a shot to numb the skin where the catheter goes in.
Then the doctor moves the catheter through the blood vessel to the right ventricle of your heart. You may feel pressure when the doctor does this. Your doctor may also have injected a dye into your blood vessel and heart. The dye shows up on a screen. It helps your doctor see where to move the catheter and pacemaker.
When the catheter is inside the right ventricle, the doctor moves the pacemaker out of the catheter. The pacemaker is attached to the heart tissue so that it doesn't move. Flexible hooks may be used. Then the catheter is removed from your body.
Leadless pacemaker placement: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You have trouble breathing.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You are bleeding from the area where the catheter was put in your blood vessel.
- You have a fast-growing, painful lump at the catheter site.
- You have symptoms of infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the area.
- Pus draining from the area.
- A fever.
- Your leg looks blue or feels cold, numb, or tingly.
- You are dizzy or lightheaded, or you feel like you may faint.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if you have problems.
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