It is a procedure that involves placing an electrical impulse device on the chest’s skin in order to help maintain the heart rate. Depending on the condition, a single-chamber, dual-chamber, or biventricular pacemaker may be placed.
Preoperative protocol:
After reviewing your medical history, your ABC doctor will determine the tests that should be performed in order to define the cause of your heart rhythm irregularity. Among them are, electrocardiogram, stress test, Holter monitoring and cardiac ultrasound.
The surgery is performed under local anesthesia, sometimes it may be necessary to inject radiocontrast media to see the path followed by the veins and their size. During the first 24 hours you should rest in bed to prevent bruising and the electrode from moving. Then you can get up, avoiding making sudden movements, mainly with the arm on the pacemaker side. The stitches are removed after a week and you can go about your normal life.
Consider that, in the hours and days after the implant, you may feel discomfort where the pacemaker is, but it disappears over time.
Possible complications:
Although the implantation of a pacemaker is safe, there could be complications, such as:
- Lung collapse.
- Damage to blood vessels or nerves near the pacemaker.
- Bruising, swelling, or bleeding where the generator is, especially if blood thinners are taken.
- Bleeding during the implant.
- General infections or in the area where the pacemaker was implanted.
- Drug allergies.
Your doctor will periodically check your pacemaker to verify its proper functioning and if it is not necessary to change the battery or generator.
Special recommendations:
Consider the following preventive measures for your pacemaker to work properly:
- Keep your cell phone at least 15 cm away from the pacemaker and in the opposite ear to the side where it was implanted.
- Avoid being near or leaning against a metal detection system, try to carry an identification card with you that says you have a pacemaker.
- Make sure your doctors know you have a pacemaker, as certain electromagnetic procedures can interfere with it.
At the Cardiovascular Center we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of your health through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.
Related centers and departments
Fuentes:
- sociedad española de cardiología
- fundación mexicana del corazón
- texasheart.org
- cardiopatías congénitas
- msdmanuals.com
- clinicamayo.org
- medigraphic.org
- Sánchez-Escobedo Y, De la Fuente-Macip C, Aquino-Bruno H, et al. Marcapasos endocárdico en un prematuro con bloqueo AV y situs inversus total. Rev Mex Pediatr. 2020;87(2):74-78. doi:10.35366/94172.
- Rosales GJ, Naranjo RY, De Dios PC, et al. Implante de marcapasos transitorio en una terapia intensiva municipal. Revista Cubana de Anestesiología y Reanimación. 2020;19(1):1-11.
- Echazabal LM, Cruz SR, Hernández LN, et al. Características clínicas de pacientes que recibieron implante, reimplante o cambio de generador de marcapasos permanentes. Finlay. 2018;8(4):291-298.
