Internal Pacing Wires...a Curiosity

[Dina]

I had a bovine tricuspid replacement 9 weeks ago and found this site only
about 2 weeks ago,but better late than never.
Prior to discharge my surgeon informed me that my internal pace-wires were
going to be cut but left inside since I had an INR of 2.2 and he didnt want
bleeding. In response I threw a minor tantrum . He didnt come to see me after this but gave orders to his PA to remove them.They came out easily and there was no bleeding.
I was told that many patients go home with these wires still inside, is this
in fact a usual or safe practice, does anyone know , I hate to not trust my
surgeon's opinion, thanks, DINA

 

[cp172]

Hi Dina,

When my surgeon's PA came around to remove all my wires she told me she was going to cut my pacer wires. When I asked why she did not just pull them out she said there was no need. She said she still had hers from her operation 30 years ago. I trusted my surgeon and let her clip the wires. So far this has not been an issue.I had minimal invasive surgery and figure that if wire can be left in the chest to put the strenum back together a few inches of pacer wire was ok.

 

[Adrienne]

One of my pacer wires was left in. The nurse couldn't pull it out and called another nurse to help her who couldn't get it out either. So, they cut it off and left it. I asked "Isn't that dangerous?" One of the nurse's said no and that what's dangerous is trying to force it out.

 

[Gusdog]

Mine were pulled, and the NP even commented that she could tell I was on Coumadin, because one of the sites bled pretty freely, but it wasn't any big deal. They didn't want to leave the wires in for a long period of time, due to possible scar tissue or something (I honestly can't remember), but that is probably one of those things that different surgeons have differing opinions about.

Adam

 

[DebbyA]

One of mine was cut because it wouldn't pull out like the others. I think the PA told me it would be absorbed. I know she told me not to have an MRI for 30 days.

 

[Dina]

Thanks for the replies , it eases my mind to know that my surgeon was not
making a bad call. He probably changed his mind when he saw it was going to effect me psychologically(a guess), he knows that Im a natural 'nervous Nelly' to begin with,DINA

 

[PairoDocs]

Pacer Wires

Pacer Wires

They pulled my husband's pacing wires the day before he left the hospital, while he was being monitored by telemetry the whole time. He made me take pictures! The nurse actually did it, and other than being a little uncomfortable, he had no ill effects. He had to lie down for a few hours (4, I think) afterward. We took the wires home, and he showed them to our kids, including the tiny pieces of his "heart meat" still attached to them. Our kids, of course, thought it was totally gross but extremely fascinating. My husband does not like metal in his body, and has a hard enough time with the cable used to hold his sternotomy together; he definitely would not like the idea of leaving the pacer wires in. Fortunately, he never needed to use the wires, either.

Smoky in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[Lynlw]

I have read that some docs do leave then inside you. They pull gently on the loose end of the wire to create tension, then they just snip it at skin level so that when it is cut, the end of the wire retracts underneath the skin.

You would have to be a moron, though, to think that anyone could lose a serious amount of blood through the tiny hole that a wire like that leaves when it is pulled out. It might ooze for a while. I can't remember if I already had a therapeutic INR when mine were pulled out. Actually, I don't think so.

If it is all that dangerous, why did he change his mind when you protested? Presumably he's not a moron, so I really don't know what he was thinking. Hopefully, it was something that would make sense if you got the full explanation. Does he think you're never going to get a paper cut from now on?

I think the concern is not the little hole, but where they pull the wires off the heart it can tear a little bit of the heart were it is attatched

 

[Bonzo Dog]

I think the concern is not the little hole, but where they pull the wires off the heart it can tear a little bit of the heart were it is attatched

That is also my understanding. The wires are sharp ended and steroid tipped so as to seat in heart surface and cause them to be captured and stabilised by tissue growth.

 

[Cooker]

They pulled mine...I was surprised at how long they were, the wires and drain tube.....The tube came out first no problem....then the first wire no problem....then the second one seemed to get caught on something half way out...he stopped, gave me a half ass-ed grin and gave it a tug and out it came....Looking back the tube removal was one of the things that worried me most, didn't even know about the wires ......And to those in the waiting room, none of it was bad....I still look back in amazement at how little pain I had with any of it

 

[marie]

Does everyone have those? I don't remember them but then I couldn't tell you what I ate for breakfast yesterday.
Earline

 

[Jkm7]

From my first OHS, I remember a distinct flutter feeling in my chest when they pulled the wires. My second OHS, I felt nothing at all.

 

[Lynlw]

Okay, thanks to Lynlw and Bonzo Dog for the further info. I'm sorry I called Dina's surgeon a moron. Or a potential moron, rather.

This thread caused me to look for scars where mine were pulled out, and I can't find any.

Justin's wires stuck out thru his sternal incision, which might be why you don't have little scars, they are just hidden in the bigger one
As for the other part, no problems, people probaly don't realize that they really are attached to the heart, since it isn't a real pleasent thought when they are pulling them out

 

[JCSydney]

Mine were pulled out 5 days after the OHS, I was told to lie still and that the procedure might feel a little icky, and it certainly did.

Jeff

 

[Lionheart]

Pulling the wires is not always a walk in the park.

My pacer wires were pulled by a NP two days after leaving ICU. Within an hour I was bleeding and draining blood through my drainage tube. Many RNs said I was lucky the tube was still in place to indicate the internal bleeding.

I was sent back to ICU and spent 3 days there before returning to the nursing floor. I required two units of blood and the whole thing added about a week to my hospital stay.

I have a friend who had his wires cut and left in place and the frayed ends irritated and annoyed him so much that he had a local heart surgeon cut them out. Not sure about his details.

John

 

[WayneGM]

For me, it was much more uncomfortable when they pulled out the pacer wires than when they pulled out the drain tube. The wires seemed to have more resistence so they really had to tug on them. However, they did come out on the first try.

 

[Bonzo Dog]

People I think we are getting our wires crossed.

I assumed the topic was about internal permanent pacing wires fitted to a permanent internal pacemaker. They are as my earlier post says designed to create tissue growth around the tips and are often left in place when redundant. There were four inside me doing nothing at one time.

On a re-read maybe Dina the original poster and some replying, are I think talking about the external pacing wires fitted as a precaution during OHS. These were removed from me post surgery on both occasions. I find it strange and unnecessary they should be snipped and left inside.

Sorry for any confusion my confusion has caused

 

[wes]

An interesting thread. My wires were pulled out about 1 week post op. I can't believe all of you actually watched the doctors do the deed! When my drainage tubes and pacer wires were removed, I didn't dare look (I knew it would gross me out). I just closed my eyes and tried to think 'happy' thoughts.

 

[Jkm7]

The PA who pulled my tubes as well as my external pacer wires knew I had a bad experience my first OHS with the tubes and did everything he could to make it easier for the this time around. Without my actually being aware, I now recognize he deftly piled my pulled up hospital gown enough to block my view of what he was doing. So while I guess I was 'looking', I wasn't seeing anything. As I was laying flat, he had blocked my view which was FINE. What a difference second time round. Same hospital, same floor, same procedure.....totally different experience. I guess it's all in the technique/touch?

 

[CHDDoug]

Mine were pulled before I was discharged. I don't recall any bleeding of significance.