Pacemaker
Purpose
An implantable pacemaker is a treatment option for certain types of arrhythmias, such as a slow heartbeat (bradycardia), and for some types of cardiomyopathy. It is a small device (about the size of a pager) that is placed surgically into a patient’s chest or abdomen. A pacemaker continuously monitors the electrical activity of the heart and temporarily takes control of the heartbeat when it becomes abnormal.
Description
- The doctor explains the details of the procedure and obtains patient consent. Informed consent is required before the procedure can be performed.
- The patient is taken to the procedure room.
- A sedative is administered to help the patient relax and local anesthetics are used to numb the areas where any incisions (cuts) are made.
- The wires of the pacemaker are threaded through a vein near the chest and guided by X-rays to the heart. The wires are attached on one end to one or both of the heart’s ventricles (pumping chambers), and sometimes to one of the heart’s atria (filling chambers).
- A small incision is made on the side of the chest or abdomen where the pacemaker will be placed, and the pacemaker is implanted underneath the skin.
- The loose ends of the wires are attached to the pacemaker.
- Most patients are discharged the same day.
Patient Instructions
Patient medications are reviewed at the time the implant is scheduled. Generally, the patient needs to stop taking only Coumadin (warfarin) for the procedure.
The patient may not eat or drink after midnight prior to the procedure.
