Pacemaker Implantation from Top Hospitals and Best Cardiac Specialists in India
If you need to have a pacemaker fitted, a small electrical device called a pacemaker will be surgically implanted in your chest. The pacemaker sends electrical pulses to your heart to keep it beating regularly and not too slowly.
Having a pacemaker can significantly improve your quality of life if you have problems with a slow heart rate. The device can be lifesaving for some people. In the UK, pacemaker implantation is one of the most common types of heart surgery carried out, with many thousands of pacemakers fitted each year.
How a Pacemaker Works
A pacemaker is a small device about the size of a matchbox that weighs 20-50g. It consists of a pulse generator – which has a battery and a tiny computer circuit – and one or more wires, known as pacing leads, which attach to your heart.
The pulse generator emits electrical impulses through the wires to your heart. The rate at which the electrical impulses are sent out is called the pacing rate. Almost all modern pacemakers work on demand. This means they can be programmed to adjust the discharge rate in response to your body’s needs.
If the pacemaker senses that your heart has missed a beat or is beating too slowly, it sends signals at a steady rate. If it senses that your heart is beating normally by itself, it doesn’t send out any signals. Most pacemakers have a special sensor that recognises body movement or your breathing rate. This allows them to speed up the discharge rate when you’re active. Doctors describe this as rate responsive.
Different types of Pacemakers:
- Permanent (Internal) Heart Pacemaker – This kind of Heart Pacemaker is implanted in a small pocket under your skin and is meant to be left in there for the rest of your life.
- Temporary (External) Heart Pacemaker – This is used for initial stabilization of the patient during a cardiac crisis.
- Demand Heart Pacemaker – This kind of Heart PacThis kind of Heart Pacemaker has an inbuilt sensing device which senses when the heart beat is too slow and turns the signal on. Once the heart beat is above a certain level, it automatically turns the signal off..
- Single Chamber Heart Pacemaker – This kind of device has one lead to carry signals to and from one chamber of your heart, either the right atrium or, more commonly, the right ventricle.
- Dual Chamber Heart Pacemaker – This kind of Heart Pacemaker has 2 leads and can monitor and deliver impulses to either or both of the heart chambers.
- Triple Chamber Pacemakers – have one lead in the right atrium and one to stimulate both the right and left ventricle. These pacemakers are useful for the patients who have weakened heart muscles.
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs)
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a device similar to a pacemaker. It sends a larger electrical shock to the heart that essentially “reboots” it to get it pumping again. Some devices contain both a pacemaker and an ICD.
ICDs are often used as a preventative treatment for people thought to be at risk of cardiac arrest at some point in the future. If the ICD senses the heart is beating at a potentially dangerous abnormal rate, it will deliver an electrical shock to the heart. This often helps return the heart to a normal rhythm.
A conventional ICD has a pacing lead that’s implanted along a vein (transvenously). There’s also a newer type of ICD where the pacing lead is implanted under the skin (subcutaneously).
How do I Prepare for a Pacemaker?
Before receiving a pacemaker, you’ll need several tests. These tests can ensure that a pacemaker is the right choice for you.
- An echocardiogram uses sound waves to measure the size and thickness of your heart muscle.
- For an electrocardiogram, a nurse or doctor places sensors on your skin that measure your heart’s electrical signals.
- For Holter monitoring, you wear a device that tracks your heart rhythm for 24 hours.
- A stress test monitors your heart rate while you exercise.
If a pacemaker is right for you, you’ll need to plan for the surgery. Your doctor will give you complete instructions on how to prepare.
- Don’t drink or eat anything after midnight the night before your surgery.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions about which medicines to stop taking.
Benefits of Pacemaker Implantation
- An outpatient procedure performed while patient is awake.
- A very safe procedure done under local anaesthesia.
- An effective approach to control the bradycardia (slow heart beat).
- Keep the heart beating at a rate that allows you to continue living a normal life and meet your body’s demand for oxygen whatever your activity level may be.
- Allows you to enjoy a better normal quality life.
Best Hospitals in India for Pacemaker Implantation
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