How pacemakers help an irregular heartbeat
The heart relies on electrical impulses to pump oxygen-rich blood to pump through the rest of the body. Like a short in an automobile’s electrical system, the heart can have an irregular heartbeat which can lead to discomfort or more serious symptoms.
The board-certified specialists at Lakewood ASC, in Wildwood, Florida, offer a number of treatment options including pacemakers, to correct an irregular heartbeat. Often, recovery from the procedure to insert a pacemaker is quick and relatively pain-free.
Arrythmias: Problems with the heart’s natural pacemaker
Arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, come in different forms that may slow the heartbeat or cause it to beat very fast. Patients may have various symptoms of the arrhythmias or no symptoms at all, including:
- Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
- Shortness of breath
- Fainting spells
- Extreme fatigue
- Sensations of the heart pounding, called palpitations
- Confusion
- Heart failure which means the heart can’t pump enough blood throughout the body
Arrhythmias may be due to several reasons, some of which cannot be controlled by lifestyle, including:
- Coronary artery disease
- Damage to the heart muscle from a previous heart attack
- Structural heart malformations that were present at birth
- Genetic abnormalities that could lead to arrhythmia
Arrythmia patients in The Villages may have normal rhythm restored with an artificial pacemaker, an electronic device that stimulates produces electrical impulses to regulate the heartbeat.
Pacemakers are implanted under the skin, near a patient’s heart. Flexible wires, or leads, carry electrical impulses from the device to the heart muscle to monitor and alter the heart rate when necessary.
A variety of types of pacemakers have been developed which The Lakewood ASC interventional cardiologists can choose from to provide the best option for patients.
A permanent pacemaker may be inserted in our state-of-the-art, sterile surgery center. The procedure often is done while the patient is under local anesthesia. The devices are programmable with settings that can be adjusted to meet the patient’s needs. Often, patients say they notice a difference immediately and can resume their desired quality of life soon after the procedure.
The Lakewood ASC interventional cardiologists who can help you or a loved one with arrythmias include:
- Nitza Alvarez, MD
- Georg Couturier, MD
- Dr. Hector Garcia, MD
- Suman Pasupuleti, MD
- Abel Rivero, MD
- Brian Saluck, MD
- Stephen Stark, MD