A pacemaker may save your life if you have an abnormal heart rhythm. Your Tomball, TX, cardiologist, Dr. Daljit Muttiani of Cardiovascular Institute, diagnoses and treats heart diseases and conditions that affect heart rhythm and electrical activity.
Who can benefit from a pacemaker?
Heart rate and rhythm are controlled by your heart's electrical system. Heart disease, heart medications, inherited conditions, and aging can all affect the organ's ability to control and maintain a normal rhythm.
Problems can occur if your heartbeats are irregular or slower/faster than normal. Symptoms of these problems, known as arrhythmias, can include shortness of breath, fainting, and fatigue. If the problem is severe, collapse or sudden death can occur.
A pacemaker corrects abnormal heart rhythms by speeding up or slowing down your heart rate and improving the coordination of electrical signals between the various parts of your heart. The devices can even record your breathing rate and the temperature of your blood and transmit this information to your cardiologist.
How does a pacemaker work?
Pacemakers send electrical impulses to your heart to keep it beating normally. The device is implanted in your chest during a minor surgical procedure. The first step of the procedure involves making a small incision in your shoulder. Your cardiologist then uses a special needle to thread the pacemaker wires to your heart.
She also creates a small opening in the skin of your chest or abdomen and places the battery-powered pacemaker inside. Pacemakers aren't very big, just around the size of a matchbox. Once the pacemaker is in position, it's connected to the wires that were threaded into your heart.
After testing the pacemaker, your Tomball heart doctor closes the incision. Since the pacemaker is just under your skin, it will create a slight bump, but won't affect your ability to wear normal clothing. Pacemakers often last five-to-seven years before they need to be replaced during another minor procedure.
Concerned about your cardiovascular health? Give us a call
A pacemaker can help you protect your heart health. If you're concerned about a potential heart issue, contact Dr. Muttiani of Cardiovascular Institute in Tomball, TX, today at (281) 357-5700 to schedule an appointment.
