Everything You Wanted to Know About Implantable Cardiac Pacemaker

 

Any abnormality of your heart rate or rhythm is referred to as an arrhythmia. It implies your heart is beating too fast, too sluggish, or in an irregular rhythm. The majority of arrhythmias are caused by issues with the heart's electrical circuitry. You may require a cardiac pacemaker or an implanted cardioverter defibrillator if your arrhythmia is severe (ICD). They are surgically implanted devices that are placed in your chest or belly.

 

A pacemaker is a device that regulates aberrant cardiac rhythms. It works by sending electrical pulses to the heart to make it beat at a regular rate. It has the ability to speed up a slow heartbeat, regulate a rapid one, and coordinate the chambers of the heart. An implantable cardiac pacemaker in the chest reduces the symptoms of a sluggish, irregular heartbeat. This is accomplished by restoring normal heart rates. A regular heart rate ensures that your body receives adequate blood circulation.

 

Newer pacemakers weigh as little as 1 ounce (28 grams). Most pacemakers have 2 parts:

• The generator contains the battery as well as the information needed to control the heartbeat.

• The leads are wire that link the heart to the generator and deliver electrical signals to it.

 

Under the skin, a pacemaker is inserted. In the majority of instances, this process takes around an hour. To help you relax, you'll be given a sedative. During the surgery, you will be awake.

 

 Benefits of getting a pacemaker:

• If you have heart failure, a pacemaker can slow the progression of your disease. You may need to be hospitalized less often, and your heart may function better overall.

• Finally, if you have a higher risk of ventricular tachycardia, a pacemaker could save your life. When you have ventricular tachycardia, you can go into ventricular fibrillation, which is when your ventricles get out of sync and contract erratically and fast.

• If you have untreated arrhythmia, your body and brain may not be getting the oxygen it needs because your heart isn’t pumping blood efficiently. You probably experience some uncomfortable symptoms, such as chronic fatigue, dizziness or light-headedness, or fainting.A pacemaker helps with those symptoms by helping your heart beat in rhythm and at an appropriate rate.