By now it's old news (at least as far as the internet goes). But cutting a pacemaker from someone's chest is no easy feat, especially when a pen knife is used. That's because the pacemaker generator and leads become encased in a fibrous shell that firmly anchors the device in place. This fibrous shell begins to take shape shortly after the pacemaker implant as the body works to isolate the foreign body from the surrounding tissues. The the formation of the typically shimmering scar-like pocket occurs over several months time. When devices are not touched for years, the pocket can even become calcified: a so-called "porcelain pocket" that can be particularly challenging to remove the device when battery changes are needed.
Although I have no idea how long the father's pacemaker had been implanted in this case, I can vouch that its removal late after implant would take considerable effort.
I can only hope he was not successful.
-Wes
My son nearly had a 'fit' (anger) when he read the article on the internet - unbelievable! Thanx for a great post...
ReplyDelete