A pacemaker is a small, battery-operated device, which helps the heart beat at a regular rhythm. It is most often used to treat brachycardia, a condition that causes there heart to beat too slowly. The heart has a natural pacemaker, the SA (sino-atrial) node, which regulates the heart rate in response to the body’s needs. When the SA node malfunctions or a heart’s electrical pathways are blocked, a pacemaker is implanted to restore the heart’s natural rhythm.

 
A pacemaker has two parts, the pulse generator (pacemaker) and the leads. The generator, about the size of a pager, stores the battery and the information to regulate the heartbeat. The leads are wires that are attached to the generator and run through a vein to the heart, where the wires are anchored. The leads send the electrical impulses to the heart, stimulating it to beat normally. Most pacemakers can sense if the heartbeat is above a certain level, which automatically turns off the device, and turns it back on the when the heartbeat is too slow.

The pacemaker is implanted through a small incision in the chest, below the collarbone. A “pocket” is created underneath the skin, where the generator will be placed. The leads are positioned in the heart and connected to the generator. The generator is then placed in the “pocket” and the incision is closed. The life of a pacemaker battery averages around seven to eight years.