Pacemaker Implant

A pacemaker is a small device that's placed (implanted) in the chest to help control the heartbeat. It's used to prevent the heart from beating too slowly. Implanting a pacemaker in the chest requires a surgical procedure.

A pacemaker is also called a cardiac pacing device.

Types

Depending on your condition, you might have one of the following types of pacemakers.

• Single chamber pacemaker. This type usually carries electrical impulses to the right ventricle of your heart.

• Dual chamber pacemaker. This type carries electrical impulses to the right ventricle and the right atrium of your heart to help control the timing of contractions between the two chambers.

• Biventricular pacemaker. Biventricular pacing, also called cardiac resynchronization therapy, is for people who have heart failure and heartbeat problems. This type of pacemaker stimulates both of the lower heart chambers (the right and left ventricles) to make the heart beat more efficiently.