The answer

Given that John is not having any other procedures done, there is a good chance that his pacemaker will be fitted under local, rather than general, anaesthetic. If this is the case, he will be sedated and given pain relief during the hour-long operation, and then be kept in hospital for an afternoon (if his procedure is completed in the morning) or overnight in order for his heart rhythm, blood pressure and wound to be monitored.

Before being discharged from hospital, John will require a chest x-ray to check the positioning of the pacemaker leads and a consultation with the surgeon. He will also be provided with details of his pacemaker and given information on how often it needs checking, plus a contact telephone number in case he has any problems or questions.

The wound and the shoulder on the side of the body where the pacemaker has been implanted (this is usually the non-dominant side, so if John is righthanded, his pacemaker will be placed in the left side of his chest) will be sore for a few days after the procedure, so John should take painkillers if needed.

He must avoid strenuous activities and not raise his arm above shoulder height for a month, but at the same time make sure he moves his arm normally so it doesn’t become stiff. Assuming there are no issues during his convalescence, John should be able to return to normal activities as soon as he feels up to it.