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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffA pacemaker is a small device, about the size of a pocket watch, that's placed under the skin near your heart to help control your heartbeat. People may need a pacemaker for a variety of reasons — mostly due to one of a group of conditions called arrhythmias, in which the heart's rhythm is abnormal.
Normal aging of the heart may disrupt your heart rate, making it beat too slowly. Heart muscle damage resulting from a heart attack is another common cause of disruptions of your heartbeat. Some medications can affect the heart rate as well. For some, genetic conditions cause an abnormal heart rate. Regardless of the underlying cause of an abnormal heart rate, a pacemaker may fix it.
A pacemaker can often be implanted in your chest with a minor surgery. You may need to take some precautions in your daily life after your pacemaker is installed.
- Pacemaker. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pace/pace_all.html. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- Wood MA, et al. Cardiac pacemakers from the patient's perspective. Circulation. 2002;105(18):2136-2138.
- Saxon LA, et al. Overview of cardiac pacing in heart failure. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 22, 2008.
- Cheng J, et al. The role of pacemakers in the prevention of atrial fibrillation. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 22, 2008.
- Hayes DL. Indications for permanent cardiac pacing. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 22, 2008.
- Olshansky B. Indications for temporary cardiac pacing. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 22, 2008.
- Pacemakers. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=24 Accessed Sept. 22, 2008.
- Shea JB, et al. A patient's guide to living with atrial fibrillation. Circulation. 2008;117(20):e340-e343.
