Preparing for your heart device implant journey

• Bloodwork may be required before your procedure—Our Cardiac Clerk or Coordinator will send you a lab requisition via mail or email prior to your procedure date. ***No fasting is required
• You will need to arrange a ride home from the hospital and arrange for someone to stay with you overnight where you sleep.
  • Note: Your procedure could be cancelled if there is no one to pick you up and/or stay with you.
• If you are from out of town, arrange to stay overnight in the Greater Vancouver area before travelling home.
• Our doctor or nurse will review additional driving restrictions, activity restrictions and when you may return to work.
• Plan to rest the day after the procedure.
• Have a shower/bath the morning of or the night before your procedure. Do not apply any lotions or creams to your chest or back.
• Do not use any scented products (perfumes/after shave) on the day of your procedure.
• Wear comfortable loose-fitting clothing to the hospital.
• If you do not speak or understand English well enough to have a medical conversation, we will use a virtual interpreter that can translate over 200 languages (this does not need to be pre-booked). 

• You will meet your doctor, and they will ask you to give written consent for the procedure.
• Electrode pads to monitor your heart will be put on your chest.
• An intravenous (IV) line will be placed in a vein in your arm so you can be given medication for the procedure.
• For Implantable Loop Recorder you can be done without IV sedation. If you receive IV sedation for your procedure, you will need to arrange a ride home from the hospital and someone to stay with you for 24 hours.
• Your chest may require shaving.

Please be patient if your procedure runs late. To give patients the best care possible, they will get as much time as needed in the procedure room.

• You will be asked to lie flat for the procedure.
• You will be connected to our cardiac monitors and your arms may be gently secured.
• The nurse may give you medication through your IV to make you feel comfortable. If you feel uncomfortable, you will be able to talk and ask for medication during the procedure.
• The doctor will cover you with drapes to keep the area sterile during the procedure.
• The doctor will freeze the area where the device will be implanted. You can expect to feel some pushing and pressure. If you are sore at all, please tell the doctor.
• In most cases, the device is placed under the skin in the upper chest area (usually on the left side).
• Once the device is in place, the incision on your chest will be stitched closed and covered with a dressing.
• You will be transferred into the recovery area when your procedure is finished.

• After the device has been implanted, you will be monitored until appropriate to go home. Depending on your condition, you may have a chest X-ray and electrocardiogram.
• The medication given during the procedure may make you feel drowsy for the first few hours. You will be able to eat or drink prior to going home. We give you some juice and a choice of sandwich (including vegetarian).
• Once the freezing begins to wear off, you may feel some soreness at the device implant site. Medications will be provided for your soreness if needed.
• You will be discharged home with specific instructions from your doctor and the nursing staff. Discharge instructions will be provided.
• Space in our recovery area is limited; family and visitors are not usually able to visit but they can wait in our waiting area.  We do our best to accommodate special requests.

• Your pick-up time can vary between 3-6 hours after arrival time.
• For Implantable Loop Recorder: if you are receiving sedation for your procedure, the pick-up time can vary between 2-3 hours after arrival time.
• We give your contact person 1-2 hours’ notice of when you will be ready to be picked up.
  • Please ensure that the pick-up person is available to pick you up at time of discharge that is given to you by the nurse.
• The person picking you up must come into the Cardiac Investigation Unit (CIU) on ground floor, located between Station 6 and 7 (see the map).