Health Tech: Who needs a cardiac pacemaker?

A cardiac pacemaker is a medical device that helps regulate heartbeat. It is implanted under the skin in the chest to help manage irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias.

A Canadian electrical engineer, named John Hopps invented the first cardiac pacemaker in 1950. But because of its large size, it remained in the lab. Then Wilson Greatbatch, an American electrical engineer, invented the first implantable cardiac pacemaker, in 1958. In the same year, pacemaker was implanted for the first time in a person.

When do you need a pacemaker?

You may need a pacemaker if you have an abnormal heartbeat. Aging, heart disease, heart muscle damage from a heart attack, medication overdose, and certain genetic defects can cause an abnormal heart rhythm.

Pacemakers are generally used to treat two types of arrhythmias: tachycardia (a heartbeat that’s too fast) and bradycardia, a (heartbeat that’s too slow). In both cases, your body doesn’t get enough blood. This results in fatigue, lightheadedness, fainting, shortness of breath, damage to vital organs and even death. Pacemakers allow people with abnormal heart rates to lead normal lives.

How a pacemaker works?

A pacemaker has two parts – a pulse generator and Leads (electrodes). The pulse generator contains the battery and the electronics that control your heartbeat. Leads are small wires that run from the pulse generator to your heart. These wires send electrical pulses to adjust your heart rate.

Can a pacemaker prevent heart attack?

Pacemakers are designed to regulate heart rhythms. They can’t remove plaque from arteries or reverse heart disease. Hence pacemaker users can still experience heart attacks.

Risks associated with pacemaker implant

The surgery to implant the pacemaker typically takes a few hours. Complications are uncommon, but pacemaker implant may cause –

Allergic reaction to anaesthesia during surgery
Infection at the site of the incision
Swelling, bruising or bleeding at the generator site
Damage to your blood vessels or nerves near the pacemaker
A collapsed lung, which is rare
a punctured heart, which is also rare

Precautions to take if you have a pacemaker

Certain devices could cause interference with your pacemaker. If you have a pacemaker, you should avoid:

keeping a cell phone or MP3 player in your shirt pocket
long exposures to metal detectors
welding equipment, high-voltage transformers or motor-generator systems
standing for too long near as microwaves

Certain medical procedures could also interfere with your pacemaker. For example, magnetic resonance imaging, CT scans, cancer radiation treatment, electrocautery to control bleeding during surgery, and shock wave lithotripsy to break up large kidney stones or gallstones.

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