Pacemaker Implantation

Overview

A pacemaker is a small battery-powered device that monitors your heartbeat and sends electrical signals to the heart when it beats too slowly or pauses. It is placed under the skin below the collarbone, with thin wires (leads) running into the heart.

Why it is done

• A slow heart rate (bradycardia) that causes dizziness, fainting, tiredness or breathlessness
• Heart block, where the heart's electrical signals are delayed or blocked
• Some types of heart failure, using a special pacemaker for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT)

Before the procedure

Your doctor will review ECGs and other heart rhythm tests. You may need to stop eating for a few hours and adjust blood-thinning medicines.

During the procedure

The procedure is done under local anaesthetic with sedation. The doctor places the leads through a vein into the heart using X-ray guidance and connects them to the pacemaker, which sits in a small pocket under the skin.

After the procedure

Most patients stay in hospital overnight. You will be advised to limit arm movement on that side for a few weeks. Regular pacemaker checks make sure it is working well, and the battery usually lasts several years.

Risks

Possible risks include bleeding or bruising, infection, movement of a lead and, rarely, a collapsed lung or damage to the heart.

At KIH

Pacemaker and defibrillator insertion is offered by KIH's cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology services, including cardiac resynchronisation device therapy.