Cardiac resynchronization therapy
If you need cardiac resynchronization therapy, you’re in excellent hands. Our board-certified specialists are highly experienced in pacemaker implants and can help restore your heart to a healthy rhythm so you can get back to the activities you love.
What is cardiac resynchronization therapy?
Usually, your heart’s electrical system keeps it beating at a regular speed or pace. But sometimes a problem with this electrical system can cause an irregular rhythm, or arrythmia.
If your rhythm is abnormally slow because the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles) are beating out of sync, we may recommend cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). If you have an enlarged heart or cardiomyopathy, we may also recommend CRT.
CRT uses a specific type of pacemaker, called a CRT pacemaker or biventricular pacemaker, to resynchronize your heartbeat. During minor surgery, our experts place the pacemaker under your skin.
How does cardiac resynchronization therapy work?
The pacemaker consists of a generator containing a tiny computer and battery, and thin insulated wires called leads. When the pacemaker senses an irregular beat in the lower chambers of your heart, the generator sends electrical signals through the leads to your ventricles so they pump together the way they should.
If needed, the pacemaker device can also contain an implantable cardioverter defibrillator that tracks and resets your heart rhythm when it beats abnormally.
Prior to your CRT implant procedure, you’ll receive personalized guidance to prepare. This may include:
- Fasting for six hours before the procedure
- Any medications you may need to stop taking, including aspirin
- Your preference for placing the pacemaker on either your right or left side
- Answering your questions and concerns
Implanting the biventricular pacemaker is a minor procedure that's done in one of our operating rooms or cath labs and usually takes two to three hours.
On the day of the procedure, you’ll be admitted to the hospital. The skin where the pacemaker will be implanted will be washed and may be shaved. To help you relax, we may give you a mild sedative.
You’ll also receive a local anesthetic to numb the insertion area. You’ll be awake during the procedure and we may ask you take deep breaths to assist the specialists.
We’ll make a small incision in the skin below your collarbone and gently guide the leads of the pacemaker through a vein in your upper chest into your heart's chambers.
Using electrical measurements to find the optimal placement, we’ll position the leads in your heart. Then we’ll attach the generator to the leads, place it under your skin and close the incision.
You’ll likely stay in the hospital a day or two to make sure the biventricular pacemaker is working properly. We’ll regularly check your pulse, blood pressure and incision. You shouldn’t lift your arm above your shoulder on the pacemaker side to allow the leads to secure themselves inside your vein and heart.
You may have some stiffness and pain in the incision area. We’ll give you medication to relieve it and make you as comfortable as possible.
When you return home, you’ll be able to continue with most of your daily activities. You’ll need to take it easy to keep from pulling the leads out of place. This includes not lifting your arm over your head for at least a week, and no heavy lifting, running or playing contact sports until your doctor says it's safe to resume these activities.
We’ll ask you to take your temperature every day for a week and check your incision for signs of infection. You should contact your doctor if you have a fever or redness, swelling, drainage or pain at the incision site or if the area is warm to the touch.
We’ll remove your sutures or staples in a follow-up visit. Your incision should heal completely within a month.
Your physician may ask you to check your pulse regularly and check your pacemaker by sending signals to them by phone.
Pacemaker batteries need to be replaced every five to 10 years, but don't worry, your battery won't run down unexpectedly. When it’s time to change the battery, we’ll replace the generator during a procedure that’s similar but shorter than the first one. Your leads may also need to be replaced periodically.
What to expect from your CRT pacemaker
After your biventricular pacemaker is implanted, you’ll get an ID card to carry with you. This card contains important information about your pacemaker. Show it to your doctors, dentist or any other medical professional you visit. Pacemakers can set off security devices at airports, libraries and other locations, and you'll want to show your card to security personnel, too.
Items that won’t interfere with your pacemaker
These items are OK to use with your pacemaker:
- Computers
- Televisions, radios and stereos
- Hair dryers and power tools
- Microwave ovens in good working order
- Electric blankets, vacuum cleaners and heating pads
- Cars
Items that might interfere with your pacemaker
Certain items can interfere with your pacemaker. These include:
- Cell phones
- Very strong magnets, like those used for MRIs
- Heavy-duty electrical equipment
- Radio transmitting towers
- Ham radios
- Certain surgical instruments
Be careful around these common devices:
- Use your cell phone on the ear farthest from your pacemaker. Don't carry the phone in your breast pocket.
- Walk quickly through store anti-theft detectors as they create a magnetic field.
- Avoid leaning directly over the open hood of a running car as the engine generates an electrical field.
Why choose Advocate Heart Institute for cardiac resynchronization therapy?
At Advocate Heart Institute, you can feel confident with our expert cardiology care. Together, our large, multidisciplinary team of specialists offer unmatched:
- Experience: As a recognized center of excellence for treating complex arrhythmias, our specialists are among the most experienced in the Midwest in pacemaker implants. And overall, we have one of the top cardiac programs in the U.S. Performing more than 20,000 procedures every year, our cardiology teams have experience with all types of procedures and all types of conditions.
- Quality: Our safety-first culture permeates everything we do. We participate in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry that benchmarks our outcomes against other programs. Our high ratings mean fewer complications and better results.
- Teamwork: Working closely together, our cardiologists, surgeons, electrophysiologists and other specialists develop a customized treatment plan that’s just right for you.
- Technology: We offer the latest programs and treatments that you may not find elsewhere in the area. Cardiology technology changes rapidly, and we continuously upgrade our equipment and learn the latest, most advanced techniques. And we participate in cutting-edge research and clinical trials to ensure access to the newest innovations.
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