Life after Pacemaker / Living with Pacemaker

Pacemaker is small electronic device that is placed or implanted in the chest to help and control the heartbeat, ie. it helps to regulate the rhythm of heart. Most of the pacemakers are implanted to treat the symptoms that results from bradycardia (slow heart rate) which is caused by sick sinus syndrome on heart block.

Pacemaker is also called as cardiac patient device and implanting a pacemaker requires a surgical procedure.

Types of pacemaker:-

Pacemaker implantation procedure is generally done depending on the condition of the patient, some of the types of pacemaker are-

1. Single chamber pacemaker- This type of pacemaker generally carries the electrical impulses to the right ventricle of the heart.
2. Dual chamber pacemaker- This type of pacemaker generally carries electrical impulses to right atrium and the right ventricle of the heart, this is done to control the timing of contractions between both the chambers.
3. Biventricular pacemaker- bi ventricular pacing is also called cardiac resynchronization therapy this is done for the people who have past history of heart failure and has heartbeat problems. this type of pacemaker is implanted to provide stimulus to both of the lower heart chambers to make the heartbeat more efficiently.

What pacemaker does:-

Pacemaker is generally implanted to send electric signals to the heart to control the heartbeat, if the heart beats are too slow (bradycardia). Basically sinus node is the natural pacemaker of the heart, which sends electrical impulses for heartbeat, the job of the peacemaker is to take over the role of sinus node artificially if it's not properly working.

Some of the new pacemaker also have sensors in them which detects the motion of the body are the breathing rate and single the device to increase heart rate during exercise or as needed.

After Pacemaker implantation:-

The pacemaker implantation minimally invasive surgery, typically the recovery period of the implantation is not much lengthy or difficult. Person might experience some pain at the site of incision for few days after implantation.

For some time after the implantation there will be some activities you need to avoid, the healthcare provider will ask you to restrict vigorous activity or lifting heavy objects for like 2 to 3 weeks. The site of incision is completely healed after 2 - 3 weeks and there will be no further restrictions. During medicine period there are some signs of bleeding or infection you should watch, signs such as swelling, redness or unbearable pain, in case of symptoms report your health care provider as soon as possible, these complications are infrequent.

There will be periodicall checkup of the pacemaker to make sure that it is functioning normally and has enough energy, usually this pacemaker checking can be done from home using a special device in form of a remote for the follow up. Also full body checkup will be done once or twice a year.

Tips for living with a pacemaker:-

1. Follow correct instructions of the doctor after the surgery to heal faster.2. Continue your heart medications, don't stop them unless your doctor tells you to.3. Avoid pressure on the site of pacemaker4. Do not step up at metal detector for too long5. Take precautions while using smartphones, don't keep your smartphone at the site of pacemaker6. Stay away from high voltage power lines an electric disruptors7. Always notify other doctors you have a pacemaker implantation8. Always carry a pacemaker identification card that will help the doctor to identify and examine properly

Here are some of the tips that may help you to live with pacemaker and to perform your activities of daily living without any problem.

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Dr. Sarita Rao is a Sr. Interventional Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Indore. She is the first female Interventional Cardiologist in Central India. She is Fellow of American College of Cardiology(FACC) and Fellow of European Society of Cardiology(