Pacemakers

A pacemaker is an implanted medical device that has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Pacemakers are prescribed for people whose hearts are beating too slowly or irregularly. A pacemaker stimulates the heart muscle with precisely timed discharges.

How does a pacemaker function?

There are two essential functions of a pacemaker: pacing and sensing.

Pacing is when a pacemaker sends electrical impulses to your heart to start a heartbeat. The pacemaker paces the heart when the heart’s own rhythm is interrupted, irregular, or too slow.

A pacemaker also has the ability to sense. If a pacemaker senses a natural heartbeat, it will not pace the heart.