Hi Russ, just saw your post.

I had a pacemaker installed about 5 years ago. It was not a difficult procedure for me (I was under a general anesthesia), but apparently my cardiologist had a bit of trouble threading in the electrodes, so the surgery took a bit longer than they anticipated. Still, I was out of the hospital the next day. I did have to refrain from lifting my left arm above the shoulder for, I think, a month.

It was an easy procedure and the recovery was also uneventful. My cardiologist said that low heart rate can lead to a stroke, and I believe him - that's what happened to my father.

A word of caution, though - once you get a pacemaker, you cannot buy life insurance, so if you are thinking of getting a policy, buy it before getting your pacemaker implanted.

Best of luck,
Alex