The pacemaker (pacemaker in French) is now over forty, since it was born exactly in 1972. Each year, more than 40 000 pacemakers are implanted in France!
Suffice to say that the operation is more than prowled. And as technology continues to grow, stimulators are more and more sophisticated. Indeed, thanks to technological developments, the pacemaker today manages to give the heart an electrical activity as close as possible to its physiology.
The pacemaker has become almost common today. But that does not mean that we all know what exactly this small device is, how exactly it works, or when it is implanted with this pacemaker.
Also, if you are personally concerned by the subject, you certainly ask yourself many questions about this "heart cell". No problem: you find the answers to all your questions in this special folder!
Find out exactly what a pacemaker exactly is, what it's used for and how it works. We will also explain the risks and precautions associated with this small device, as well as the process of its implantation in the body. Finally, do not miss the advice of a cardiologist, as well as the testimony of Georges who even forgets that he lives with pacemaker.
The pacemaker: when and for whom?
A "heart cell" (pacemaker) should be placed when the heart is too slow (bradycardia), when it is paused or when arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) is required. These problems occur more often in elderly people. The cardiologists propose the installation of a pacemaker, when the slowing down of the patient's heart can not be corrected by the only medication.
Apart from the natural aging of the heart, problems requiring the installation of a pacemaker can also come from different diseases, whether they are congenital malformations, atrioventricular blocks, cardiomyopathies, aortic stenoses or infarction suites.
Too slow heart beat causes various symptoms: recurrent fatigue, discomfort, loss of consciousness, or even heart failure.
In the case of heart failure (when the heart pump function is deficient), when synchronization occurs between the different walls of the heart muscle, doctors may need to install a three-probe pacemaker (one of which will go into the left ventricle) with possibly a defibrillator function. It will then resynchronize the movements of the heart.
Want to react, share your experience or ask a question? Appointment in our FORUMS Cardiology or A doctor answers you !Read also :
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Author: Sylvie Charbonnier.
Expert Consultant: Professor Jean-Yves Le Heuzey, Chief of Cardiology at the Georges Pompidou Hospital (Paris).
