What is it ?
Pacemaker is an artificial electronic device, which delivers electric pulses in the heart. These pulses stimulate the heart muscle to contract, which is required for the normal functioning of the heart.
Why is it done?
Implantation of the permanent pacemaker is done in patients who suffer from slowing of heart rate. This may be due to impairment of generation of the normal current inside the heart, or its conduction thru the various parts of heart. In both these situations, the patient has slow heart rate, may suffer from weakness, dizziness, or fainting spells.
Often these conditions may be life threatening. The pacemaker monitors the heart beat and maintains the heart rate and rhythm according to the programmed parameters inside the pacemaker.
How is it done?
The pacemaker is implanted under local anesthesia, while the patient lies on the operating table fully conscious, though under mild sedation. In almost all cases, the pacemaker is implanted on the front of the chest under the clavicle (collar bone) on left or right side. This is done thru a small incision of about 3 cm. One or two pacing wires are placed inside the heart thru a vein, and are connected to the pacemaker.
Before ... Precautions & prerequisites
An ECG, chest X-ray, and certain blood tests are done before the procedure to rule out infection and to check blood-clotting parameters. The patient is admitted to hospital before the procedure, and then taken to the laboratory after preparation of the implantation area which includes cleaning and shaving of the front of the chest.
After
After the procedure, patient is taken to the intensive care unit where monitoring of rhythm is done for a few hours. Subsequently patient is shifted to the ward room for 1 or 2 days. Dressing of the implant site is done after 48 hours and few more times in the next one week. Patients are normally discharged from hospital after 2-3 days of pacemaker implantation.
Pacemaker is an artificial electronic device, which delivers electric pulses in the heart. These pulses stimulate the heart muscle to contract, which is required for the normal functioning of the heart.
Why is it done?
Implantation of the permanent pacemaker is done in patients who suffer from slowing of heart rate. This may be due to impairment of generation of the normal current inside the heart, or its conduction thru the various parts of heart. In both these situations, the patient has slow heart rate, may suffer from weakness, dizziness, or fainting spells.
Often these conditions may be life threatening. The pacemaker monitors the heart beat and maintains the heart rate and rhythm according to the programmed parameters inside the pacemaker.
How is it done?
The pacemaker is implanted under local anesthesia, while the patient lies on the operating table fully conscious, though under mild sedation. In almost all cases, the pacemaker is implanted on the front of the chest under the clavicle (collar bone) on left or right side. This is done thru a small incision of about 3 cm. One or two pacing wires are placed inside the heart thru a vein, and are connected to the pacemaker.
Before ... Precautions & prerequisites
An ECG, chest X-ray, and certain blood tests are done before the procedure to rule out infection and to check blood-clotting parameters. The patient is admitted to hospital before the procedure, and then taken to the laboratory after preparation of the implantation area which includes cleaning and shaving of the front of the chest.
After
After the procedure, patient is taken to the intensive care unit where monitoring of rhythm is done for a few hours. Subsequently patient is shifted to the ward room for 1 or 2 days. Dressing of the implant site is done after 48 hours and few more times in the next one week. Patients are normally discharged from hospital after 2-3 days of pacemaker implantation.