Pacemaker Implantation

About Pacemaker Implantation

Pacemaker implantation places a small battery powered device under the skin, usually below the collarbone, to treat a heart rhythm that is too slow or irregular. Common indications include sick sinus syndrome and heart block, in which electrical signals do not travel normally from the upper to the lower chambers. In a conventional transvenous system one or more insulated leads are passed through a vein into the right side of the heart under X ray guidance, fixed to the heart wall and connected to a pulse generator placed in a pocket beneath the skin. The device senses the natural rhythm of the heart and delivers electrical pulses when needed. Leadless pacemakers, small self contained capsules implanted directly in the right ventricle through a catheter, are a newer option for some patients. The procedure is typically performed by cardiologists specializing in electrophysiology, under local anesthesia with sedation. Related devices include implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization devices. The first fully implantable pacemakers were developed in the late 1950s, and pacemaker implantation is now one of the most common cardiac device procedures.