Pacemakers
When your heart beats too slow or irregularly, it may need help to keep up a healthy rhythm. Our cardiovascular experts specialize in pacemaker implantation to get you back to feeling like yourself again.
What is permanent pacemaker implantation?
Your heart’s electrical system helps it beat at a regular pace. When your heart slows or becomes irregular, it’s known as arrhythmia. You may feel run-down, faint, dizzy and short of breath. To correct your arrhythmia and help you feel better, our board-certified electrophysiologists may recommend a permanent pacemaker.
A pacemaker is a small electronic device placed just under your skin that generates electrical pulses similar to your heart's own natural signals. It helps keep your heart beating at the right rhythm.
How a pacemaker works
A 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 heart to restore your healthy rhythm.
Most pacemakers have either one or two leads. A single-chamber pacemaker connects one lead to an upper or lower chamber of your heart while a dual-chamber pacemaker connects two leads to two chambers.
A pacemaker is different than an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in that it provides small electrical pulses to keep your heart beating at a normal rate. An ICD is used to help control life-threatening arrhythmias and can deliver a stronger shock if it senses a dangerously abnormal rhythm.
Prior to the procedure to implant your pacemaker, 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 your pacemaker is a minor, minimally invasive procedure that takes about two to three hours. It’s usually done in one of our operating rooms or cath labs.
On the day of the procedure, you’ll be admitted to the hospital. The area of skin where your pacemaker will be implanted will be washed and may be shaved. You'll receive a mild sedative to help you relax.
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 lead or 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 your pacemaker is working properly. We’ll regularly check your pulse, blood pressure and incision, and make you as comfortable as possible.
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 and we’ll give you medication to quickly relieve it.
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.
If necessary, we’ll remove any 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 pacemaker
After your pacemaker is implanted, you’ll get an ID card to carry with you. This card contains important information about your device. 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 device:
- Computers
- Televisions, radios, stereos
- Hair dryers and power tools
- Microwave ovens in good working order
- Electric blankets, vacuum cleaners, heating pads
- Cars
Items that might interfere with your pacemaker
Certain items can interfere with your device. 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 a pacemaker?
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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