Sunday 3 July 2016

A Simple Pacemaker Procedure Can Save Millions Of Lives

By Rebecca Murphy


Not all that many years ago even minor heart problems could have been a death sentence. Enormous strides have been made in the treatment of heart disease, however. Today, complicated open heart surgery is common and considered to be safe. Many heart problems can be managed or treated by means of medication or minor procedures. For example, by opting for a pacemaker Princeton NJ patients can resume normal activities within days.

The heart is a pump and one of the most common causes of heart problems is when the heart does not beat as it should. It beats either too slowly or too fast. The four chambers of the heart also need to work in a coordinated manner. If this is not the case, the heart cannot supply sufficient blood to the rest of the body.

A pace making device is a relatively simple piece of machinery that helps the heart to beat at the optimum pace. In essence, it consist of a generator that sends electrical impulses to electrodes that are attached to the various chambers of the heart. The electrical impulses controls the rate at which the heart beats. Millions of people have received pace making devices in the past few decades.

These devices may be simply, but that does not mean that they are not sophisticated. They not only regulate the heartbeat, but they constantly monitor the breathing and activity of the body. During exercise, for example, or a change in the breathing pattern of the patient, the heart rate will be increased or decreased according to the blood and oxygen needs of the body.

The implantation of a pace making device does not require a serious operation. In fact, it is routinely done by using only a local anaesthetic. The generator is implanted just underneath the collar of the left shoulder, after which the electrodes are threaded through a vein to the chambers where they need to be attached. The entire procedure takes only 30 to 90 minutes. The patient can go home on the same day but a follow up visit is required to ensure that the device is performing as it should.

The good news is that a pace making device does not require the patient to make major life style changes. He does have to avoid intensive magnetic fields and he should avoid contact sports. He may experience swelling and discomfort at the site where the generator is placed, but this discomfort is short lived. Patients should inform other medical professionals that they have such a device when receiving other medical treatment.

This procedure is extremely safe and complication are extremely rare. In some very few cases patients experienced collapsed lungs during the procedure. There is, of course, always a risk of infection developing but this is the case during any surgical procedure. Some patients may have an allergic reaction to the dye that is used during surgery. Some swelling and discomfort at the site where the generator was inserted is common.

Advances in the medical field have truly been astonishing. Condition that used to be a virtual death sentence are now routinely treated. In addition, treatment methods are becoming less and less dangerous and invasive. Millions of people are able to continue enjoying a fulfilling lifestyle after receiving a life saving pace making device.




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