Recovery After Pacemaker Surgery: Activities to Limit or Avoid
Your recovery timeline may depend on the type of pacemaker you have, Dr. Warrier says. There are two main categories: leadless and traditional transvenous devices.
A leadless pacemaker is attached to the inner wall of your heart and does not have a separate battery or wires (leads). Transvenous pacemakers are typically larger and use one to three wires attached to the chambers of your heart.
“With leadless, you will likely feel much freer to get back to your normal routine without limitations sooner than with the traditional type,” Warrier says. “With either, it’s important to gradually increase the workload over the first few weeks. A reasonable target for returning to your baseline level of exercise — what you had before the surgery — is about four to six weeks.”
During recovery, limit strenuous upper-body activities, such as lifting objects heavier than 10 pounds or doing sports such as golf, bowling, or swimming, says Randy Gould, DO, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology in New York. Your doctor may advise against these activities for up to three months, based on how your recovery is going.
“These activities can increase pressure at the incision and potentially lead to complications,” Dr. Gould says. “Instead, it’s recommended that within the first few months, you focus on walking to promote increased circulation and lifting lighter weights of less than 10 pounds to prevent frozen shoulder syndrome.”
Once your doctor says you are fully recovered after receiving a pacemaker, you can usually exercise without restrictions, he adds. But, even if you had the surgery years ago, it’s recommended that you avoid sports that involve the risk of direct blows to the chest, such as hockey or football.
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