Pacing and rhythm-control devices, including pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), are used to treat arrhythmias or other disturbances of the heart's rhythm.
Patients can have these devices implanted while in the operating room or the Cardiovascular Intervention Center.
A pacemaker is an artificial device placed inside or outside the body to regulate your heartbeat. As you do daily activities, the pacemaker sends and receives electrical signals to and from the heart to regulate your heartbeat to meet your body's needs.
While in the hospital, you may have a temporary pacemaker to keep your heartbeat steady. The temporary pacemaker is placed outside your body. Your doctor controls the number of electrical signals going to your heart through a pacemaker wire.
An external noninvasive pacemaker is a type of temporary pacemaker that is entirely outside your body. Electrodes are attached to your chest with adhesive pads. They are then connected to a pacemaker machine by wires. The electrodes both pick up electrical signals from your heart and send electrical signals to your heart to keep your heartbeat in rhythm.
In contrast, a transvenous pacemaker has a wire that is actually put inside your heart. The other end of the wire is connected to a pacemaker machine. A local anesthesia will be used at the site where the pacemaker wire is inserted into a major vein. The wire is then advanced until it reaches the heart.
Your doctor may decide that you need a permanent pacemaker to keep your heart rhythms under control. This type of pacemaker is put inside your chest or abdomen close to a major vein where it stays. This is done under local anesthesia. The vein is opened so the pacemaker wire can be advanced into the heart. The wire must touch the heart to carry electrical signals back and forth between the heart and the pacemaker. The wire is then attached to the pacemaker, which is put under the skin in a pocket-like area.
For more information about what you can do and when to be careful when you have a pacemaker, see the For Patients section.
