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A pacemaker is a small, low-voltage, battery-powered, implantable device that monitors and sends electrical pulses to the heart. When it senses an arrhythmia or lack of heartbeat, it sends an electrical impulse to your heart to establish a normal rhythm. A pacemaker also stores important information about your heart rhythms and rates that your doctor can use to ensure you receive the best possible treatments and therapies. Some pacemakers also treat heart failure by resynchronizing electrical impulses in the heart’s four chambers, improving the heart’s ability to pump blood to the body effectively and efficiently.
A healthy heart has a natural pacemaker called the sinus node that is one of the principal elements of the cardiac conduction system, which controls the heart rate. It generates electrical impulses which move throughout the heart muscle and stimulate the heart to contract and pump blood. If you have been diagnosed with an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), bradycardia (slow heartbeat), or heart failure, your doctor may have decided a pacemaker is right for you.
Pacing is the process in which regulating or changing the timing or intensity of your heartbeat, or cardiac contractions, are made. Depending on your symptoms and the specific heart condition, your doctor may prescribe a different type of pacemaker.
Pacemakers can be classified in two ways -
Based on its design:
Or based on its pacing characteristics:
A traditional pacemaker is implanted under the skin in the chest area and connected to leads that attach to the heart wall.
A leadless pacemaker is implanted in your heart through a blood vessel in your leg. This type of pacemaker is smaller than the volume of a AAA battery and does not require leads.
A traditional pacemaker is a pacing system with two parts. A pulse generator is implanted under the skin, most commonly in the chest. Leads, the second part of the system, act as an information highway. Leads are implanted with the pulse generator to carry electrical impulses from the pulse generator to the heart, and then relay information about the heart’s natural activity back to the pulse generator.
After your implant and during checkups your doctor will use a programmer. A programmer is a specially-designed computer made to communicate with your pulse generator or leadless device. It is an important tool for adjusting and customizing your pacemaker to your needs.
Unlike traditional pacemakers, leadless pacemakers (LP) reside entirely in the heart. That means there are no leads, no chest incisions and no permanent pocket under the skin.
A catheter that contains the LP is passed through a small incision in the groin and threaded into the heart using a minimally invasive procedure where the LP is then secured into the interior wall muscle of your heart
After your implant and during checkups your doctor will use a programmer. A programmer is a specially-designed computer made to communicate with your pulse generator or leadless device. It is an important tool for adjusting and customizing your pacemaker to your needs.
Traditional Pacemaker Heart Placement
Leadless Pacemaker Heart Placement
During the implant procedure, you are either given a general anesthetic or conscious sedation. Conscious sedation is a combination of medicines to help you relax (a sedative) and to block pain (an anesthetic). If you receive conscious sedation, you may be able to hear and even talk with the medical team during the procedure, and team members may have instructions for you.
You may feel some pressure while the team implants your device, but you should not feel any pain. The duration of the procedure depends on the kind of device you are receiving as well as your specific anatomy. This means the physician needs time to locate good positioning of the system. Implanting a pacemaker can take several hours.
Immediately after your procedure, you will be moved to recovery for observation. You may feel discomfort and most likely will be tired. You may stay in the hospital for several hours up to several days. Your physician will estimate the time needed to stay in the hospital, depending on your individual needs.
Your doctor will let you know when you can resume normal activity. You may have to adjust your overall pattern of activity and be aware of new things around you that you may not have paid attention to before. However, your symptoms should improve. There will be follow-up appointments after your surgery and check-ups throughout the year.
Some pacemakers use wireless remote monitoring and others require a wand or skin electrodes for communication.
Remote monitoring is a way for your pacemaker to communicate information about your heart’s activity directly to your doctor’s office or clinic. It works for you any time of the day and on any day of the week. It is a way for your pacemaker to communicate with your doctor without you having to see your doctor in person. It may reduce your number of hospital or clinic visits and make sure your doctor has the information they need about your heart.
Remote monitoring works via the Merlin@home™ transmitter. This transmitter syncs with your pacemaker and collects data about your heart’s activity. This data is shared with your doctor’s office and monitors activity such as heart rate and rhythm, as well as information about the device itself.
Find answers to your questions about both traditional and leadless pacemakers, including the implantation procedure, safety and use, and daily living with your device.
*Abbott Aveir VR Leadless Pacemaker is currently only available in US and Canadian markets
Rx Only
Brief Summary: Prior to using these devices, please review the Instructions for Use for a complete listing of indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, potential adverse events and directions for use.
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