Pacemaker surgery is generally a minor surgery that may take around 1-2 hours to complete. The pacemaker is implanted under the skin of the chest, and there is no need for open-heart surgery. The procedure is done under local anesthesia, although medications may be given to make the patient sleepy and comfortable during the procedure. Most patients go home within 24 hours of the pacemaker surgery. Make sure you have someone to drive you back home after you are discharged from the hospital.
What is a pacemaker?
A pacemaker is a small, battery-operated device that sends signals to the heart to regulate the heartbeat. The pacemaker senses when the heart beats irregularly (arrhythmia) or if it beats too slow (bradycardia) and sends corrective signals to the heart muscles. Modern-day pacemakers can fix arrhythmias and help restore normal heart function. This helps people with various heart conditions live a more active and long life. The device may weigh just 1 ounce. A pacemaker has two main parts:
- A generator: It contains the battery and the requisite information for controlling the heartbeat.
- Leads: They are wires connecting the heart to the generator. The leads carry the electrical messages from the generator to the heart.
What happens during pacemaker surgery?
The following is done for pacemaker surgery:
- Before the surgery, you will be asked to wear a hospital gown after taking a bath with a special soap.
- Your doctor may ask you to not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the surgery. They may, however, allow you to take certain medicines with a small sip of water.
- You will lie on your back on the operating table.
- The doctor or nurse will administer a sedative to help you get relaxed.
- A local anesthetic will be injected at the site of operation. This ensures that you do not feel pain while you stay awake during the procedure.
- The doctor will make a small surgical cut (incision) on your chest. The incision is generally given on the left side of the chest a little below the collarbone.
- The pacemaker generator is placed under the skin below the collarbone. Rarely, the pacemaker generator may be implanted in the abdomen.
- The doctor will then insert the pacemaker leads through a vein. The leads are guided into the heart using live X-rays.
- Once the leads are at their correct positions, they are connected to the generator of the pacemaker.
- The doctor will then check whether the pacemaker is functioning properly.
- Once the functioning of the pacemaker is ensured, the incision is closed with stitches and dressing is done.
- The procedure generally takes around 1 hour to complete.
- The skin is closed with stitches.
What are the risks of pacemaker surgery?
The complications of a pacemaker surgery may include:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms)
- Injury to the lung (rare) leading to pneumothorax (presence of air between the lungs and the chest wall
- Injury to the heart (rare)
SLIDESHOW
The 14 Most Common Causes of Fatigue See SlideshowMayo Clinic. Pacemaker. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/pacemaker/about/pac-20384689
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Common Medical Abbreviations & Terms
Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include:
- ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
- ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
- cap: Capsule.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
- DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
- DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- HA: Headache
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- JT: Joint
- N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
- p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
- q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SOB: Shortness of breath.
- T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."
cryoprecipitate
Cryoprecipitate is a blood product containing specialized insoluble blood proteins known as coagulation factors that regulate the clotting and clot-dissolving processes. Cryoprecipitate is obtained from plasma, the fluid component of blood, and is used to treat patients with blood clotting (coagulation) disorders and to control hemorrhage during major surgery or during and after childbirth. Common side effects of cryoprecipitate include transfusion-related complications, allergic reactions, and post-transfusion bruising (purpura).
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How Does a Biventricular Pacemaker Work?
A biventricular pacemaker is a special type of pacemaker to treat heart failure with abnormal electrical systems. This type of pacemaker stimulates the lower left and right chamber of the heart.How Long Can a Child Live With a Pacemaker?
In most cases, most children can live a normal life after pacemaker surgery.How Long Can You Live With a Biventricular Pacemaker?
A biventricular pacemaker is a battery-operated device used to treat delay in contractions of the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). As per research, patients with a biventricular pacemaker have better survival rates after the diagnosis is made. The average life increases approximately between 8.5 and 20 years, depending on the overall health, age, and lifestyle.propofol
Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic drug used for general anesthesia and sedation during surgical procedures. Common side effects of propofol include injection site burning, stinging or pain; low blood pressure (hypotension), reduced cardiac output, elevated blood pressure (hypertension), pause in breathing (apnea), lung impairment (respiratory acidosis), impaired movement, high level of emulsified fats in the blood (hyperlipidemia), and high triglyceride level in blood (hypertriglyceridemia). Abuse of propofol can cause death and other injuries.Side Effects of Having a Pacemaker
A pacemaker is a small device that sends electrical impulses to the heart muscles to maintain a suitable heart rate and rhythm. Pacemakers are used to treat an abnormal heart rate (arrhythmias).succinylcholine
Succinylcholine is a skeletal muscle relaxant used for medical procedures done under general anesthesia, including tracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, and surgeries. Common side effects of succinylcholine include postoperative muscle pain, jaw rigidity, muscle twitch (fasciculation), respiratory depression, cessation of breathing (apnea), low or high blood pressure (hypotension or hypertension), irregular heart rhythms (cardiac arrhythmias), slow or rapid heartbeat (bradycardia or tachycardia), cardiac arrest, increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), high blood potassium levels (hyperkalemia), severe life-threatening drug reaction with excessively high temperature (malignant hyperthermia), salivary gland enlargement, excessive salivation, rash, hypersensitivity reactions, and others.