Pacemakers - Lees Summit,MO

My Mother is 98 and had a pacemaker placed 4 years ago, was done as outpatient, home the same day. It is placed in small incision in the chest above breast, below collar bone. Soreness lasted a few days, but they will give pain pills if needed, may have some bruising, but will heal up fine. Sometimes the bra strap or seat belt in car will need some padding over the area.
It didn't slow her down much except soreness in moving her arm and had to be careful during sleep, but by two weeks, minimal discomfort and healed.
The follow up is a "check" over the phone every three months, the cardiologist will arrange the kit / machine, which requires a land line phone, not cell phone and not cordless. Then the Dr. will tell you when she needs to be seen..
My Mom at 98 sees her cardiologist every 6 months to a year, and the pacemaker has never been a problem.
They will give teaching and training materials at time it is placed.

M., RN

My MIL got O. last year. She is 74, obese and a HUGE baby.
They kept her overnight & it was a quick recovery--the incision mostly.
Good luck!

My grandma got a pacemaker several years ago. It was no big deal. They went in through a leg artery, I believe it was? So she didn't even have stitches, just a little band-aid. She stayed overnight for observation, and said the hardest part about it was that her roommate snored, that the nurses kept waking her up in the middle of the night, and that the food was "vile." LOL

All in all, I would say that your Grandma will be more inconvenienced than anything. (Plan on bringing her food so she doesn't have to choke down "so-called 'pudding' " as my Grandma called it ;)

My friend is 46 and has had 4 pacemaker/defibrillators surgeries. (the batteries run out over a period of time.). I think my friend spent 1 night/ 2 days in the hospital. The incision looked monstrous after her last surgery but it was just from the swelling. Now she has a 4" scar that is hardly noticeable. (My grandmother had one too. It took her a while to get used to the device under her skin but other than that she was fine.)