Pacemakers And ICD Specialist

What are pacemakers and ICD?

Pacemakers and ICDs (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) are small implantable units that correct irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) via electrodes attached to your heart muscle. 

These devices monitor your heart’s speed and rhythm, then override any abnormalities that affect the organ’s ability to function normally.

A pacemaker can correct problems such as a slow heartbeat, missed beats, and pumping inefficiencies due to conditions like congestive heart failure (CHF). 

An ICD acts as a defibrillator, delivering controlled shocks to correct ventricular arrhythmia. Some units combine the functions of both ICDs and pacemakers.

Why would I need a pacemaker or an ICD?

Your provider at Cardiac Care Consultants might recommend you have a pacemaker or ICD fitted if you have a potentially damaging or life-threatening arrhythmia such as:

• Bradycardia (slow heartbeat)
• Tachycardia (fast heartbeat)
• Atrial fibrillation 
• Ventricular fibrillation
• Ventricular tachycardia
• Heart block

Pacemakers and ICD can also keep your heart functioning if you have structural heart disease or sustain heart muscle damage after suffering from cardiomyopathy, endocarditis, a heart attack, or heart failure.

What happens during pacemaker and ICD implantation?

In most cases, implantation of pacemakers and ICDs is an outpatient procedure performed in a hospital setting. Your provider gives you a sedative and a local anesthetic to ensure you feel no pain during your procedure, but you don’t need to be unconscious.

To implant the pacemaker or ICD, your provider makes a small incision beneath your collarbone to access a large blood vessel that goes to your heart. They insert thin wires, attach them to your heart muscle, and then connect them to a small generator unit.

Your provider implants the generator just under your skin. It runs on a battery that lasts for many years. Finally, several tiny stitches seal the wound. Cardiac Care Consultants also use the innovative MICRA™ leadless pacemaker for patients with bradycardia.

What aftercare does pacemaker or ICD implantation require?

Before you leave the hospital after pacemaker or ICD implantation, your provider tests the device and makes sure it’s functioning correctly. 

They also give you instructions on how to avoid problems with your pacemaker or ICD – for example, certain devices with strong magnetic or electrical fields can disrupt the function of your unit.

As the procedure is minimally invasive, you won’t have any large surgical wounds to worry about, and you should heal within a few weeks. You need to attend follow-up appointments at Cardiac Care Consultants to check the pacemaker or ICD is working as it should and monitor your heart function.

To find out how pacemakers and ICD could prevent life-threatening heart problems, call Cardiac Care Consultants today or book an appointment online.