What Happens During Pacemaker Surgery?
Gray Rollins
Individuals who require an internal artificial pacemaker to
regulate their heartbeat will need to undergo pacemaker surgery
to have the device implanted in the body. Pacemaker Surgery is
performed under local anesthetic, though patients are generally
hospitalized overnight for careful monitoring. Patients are
given a mild sedative to keep them calm and relaxed but are
otherwise awake and alert throughout the pacemaker surgery.
To insert the pacemaker, the surgeon makes a two to three inch
incision just below the patient’s collarbone. An electrode lead
is inserted into a nearby vein and slowly advanced towards the
heart. A fluoroscope is used to guide the doctor as he advances
the lead, providing him with a detailed image of the interior of
the vein. Once the lead enters into the heart, it is attached to
the tissue so that the positioning of the lead may be tested. To
test positioning, the surgeon sends small electrical signals
down the lead and evaluates the heart’s response to the
impulses. A suitable position is one that allows the full
strength of the signal to reach the heart, thereby signaling
the heart to contract and beat. It may be necessary to reseat
the lead within the vein several times before an ideal position
is achieved.
Once the lead has been placed and secured in the heart, the
generator portion of the pacemaker is implanted under the skin.
This small box, measuring just a half an inch long by a half an
inch wide, is connected to the electrode lead and inserted
though the incision into a small pocket just under the skin.
The doctor then sutures the incision closed and hooks the
patient up to a heart monitor for observation. The whole
procedure, from start to finish, typically takes just one to
two hours.
Patients should expect to feel mild to moderate pain and
tenderness around the incision for several days. Since the
generator lies just beneath the surface of the skin, most
individuals can clearly feel the outline of the pacemaker once
the incision site has healed. Some patients end up with mild
scarring or a small deformity of the skin near the generator,
due to the fact that it is not seated deep within the body.
More serious complications are rare (occurring in just 1-2% of
patients) and may include severe bleeding, blood clots,
puncturing of the heart or lung, heart attack, stroke, or a
pacemaker malfunction.
Since pacemaker batteries run from five to ten years, it is
necessary to replace the generator every few years to ensure
that it is running properly. Routine monitoring of the
pacemaker ensures that is it operating as designed until such
time that a replacement is needed.
About The Author: Gray Rollins is a featured writer for
ProstheticsCenter. To learn more about pacemakers, visit
http://www.prostheticscenter.com/pacemakers/pacemakersurgery/
Find More Free Natural Health Information
Back To:
All Free Info about Heart & Circulatory System Health
Choose Natural Health Site Map
