While a heart pacemaker should not be confused with the natural pacemaker of the heart, an artificial pacemaker is a medical device which serves to help people who suffer from heart problems. Many people are unaware as to how a pacemaker works. It is a fairly simple device that works by using electrical currents which come into contact with the muscles of the heart by way of electrodes. This in turn helps to regulate the beating of the heart.
The purpose of a pacemaker is to make sure that the heart is beating at a proper, healthy rate. These devices are used if the heart’s natural ability to regulate its beats is not working correctly. They may also be used if the electrical conduction of the heart is blocked in some way.
For more severe cases, technology has made it possible to combine a defibrillator into the electronic heart pacemaker unit. Modern medical and technological advances have also allowed pacemakers to be programmed externally by a specialist.
While experiments were taking place into pacemakers as far back as 1889, it was not until 1958 that an artificial and implantable pacemaker was first used. The first patient to use the device was Arne Larson who used twenty-two such apparatuses over the course of his life.
Implantable pacemakers are inserted into the patient by way of a straightforward surgery process. A local anesthetic is always used and antibiotics are provided afterwards to prevent any infection that could be caused as an effect of the operation. With an incision made just below the left collar bone, the pacemaker is inserted into the body and the leads are wired up to the heart with the use of a fluoroscope to make sure everything is going into the right place.
People who use an artificial heart pacemaker are required to have occasional checkups to make sure that everything is working correctly and to see if any adjustments may be required.
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