ALL ABOUT
WHAT IS A HEART PACEMAKER? Purpose, Procedure and Risks By Cardiologist, Dr. Vernon Freeman, practising at Melomed Hospitals.
People who have pacemakers can usually lead entirely unrestricted lives. If you have a pacemaker or have been told you need one, this article should help you understand what a pacemaker does, and what you might expect from it. Some years ago, when the matriarch of a welleducated family needed a pacemaker implant, I began to understand how little is known about the subject in the community. The family was mobilizing from all over the country to be at the bedside for this “major operation”. Pacemaker implants in South Africa was pioneered by the Barnard brothers since the late 1960’s. At that early stage the power for the device was supplied by an external battery the size of a PM9 (hope you know what this is). Advances in cardiac pacemakers over the years have made these devices safe, and effective and reliable. Today’s pacemakers are small but very sophisticated electronic devices that can be implanted under the skin to help regulate the heartbeat. Specifically, pacemakers are most commonly used to treat several cardiac arrhythmias that produce bradycardia – a heartbeat that is too slow. The heart rhythms that cause bradycardia are sick sinus syndrome and heart block.
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