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Stroke restrictions with a pacemaker

033M1

Two months ago, I had a pacemaker inserted due to having extreme bradycardia and an AV block. I am ready to get back in the water. My cardiologist recommends that I avoid swimming butterfly, due to clavicle pinch.  Free and back seem OK. Breaststroke perhaps was OK.  I have read of some Masters swimmers swimming all the strokes.  While I do want to follow my cardiologist ’s recommendations, I am wondering whether other Master swimmers with pacemakers have had similar restrictions.  OR if having no restrictions, have any swimmers with a PM had any problems with swimming and competing in all strokes.

Also, if anyone with a pacemaker has made any modifications to his/her training, what have you found helpful?

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    I have had a pacemaker since early 2022. I also was advised against swimming butterfly, or doing anything else that involves extreme thoracic extension. I used to like fly but I can live without it. Any swimming is going to risk lead damage because of the repetitive arm motion, but I told the surgeon that I would not entertain the idea of no swimming unless I actually needed a lead revision.

    Right after surgery, my surgeon told me not to lift my elbow above my shoulder for six weeks, and not to swim for another six weeks but I could kick. I swam at short course Nationals in 2023 and also in the National Senior Games that year and I performed OK, not great. I depend on my pacemaker for rate response, which you may not. Although I think we've optimized the settings, it will never be perfect. I haven't done a lot of racing since then because it's a little demoralizing TBH.

    Instead I have leaned into OW swimming, which I did before but I do more now. The device rate response supports that kind of steady-state effort better than it supports short bursts of extreme effort like most pool races. I've enjoyed getting better at cold swimming, and being able to go sightseeing in the water with paddler support.

    If you use Facebook, there's a private group for Cardiac Athletes that is mostly runners but also includes some swimmers and triathletes. A lot of those people have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease but some have arrythmias or other conduction issues, and pacemakers.