What will the recovery be like?
You will stay in the hospital a day or two to make sure the ICD is working properly. Your pulse, blood pressure and incision sites will be checked regularly by a nurse. Prior to discharge, a chest x-ray may be taken and the ICD’s settings may be adjusted from outside your body. You will be asked not to lift your arm above your shoulder on the ICD side so that the leads will have a chance to secure themselves inside the vein and your heart. You may experience some stiffness and pain in the incision area, for which you will receive medication.
