Have you ever wondered how a pacemaker works? An artificial pacemaker is an electronic mechanism which is attached to the heart via tiny wires. The pacemaker is usually implanted through surgery, however temporary external pacemakers are available. The pacemaker sends an electrical pulse to the heart, which stimulates the heart to “beat.” This is useful for people whose heart beats at an abnormal rate.

The heart’s natural pacemaker is responsible for regulating the heart’s beats at a certain pace. However, if sometimes the natural pacemaker fails in doing so. That is where artificial pacemakers step in to fulfil the role of the heart’s natural pacemaker.

These days, an electronic heart pacemaker can be programmed externally by a trained cardiologist who will be able to configure it to fit more precisely the needs of the individual. Pacemakers may also be combined with a defibrillator all in one unit if necessary.

Pacemaker experiments have been going on for over a hundred years, however the real breakthrough was in 1958. It was in 1958 that the first implantable pacemaker was used, although it was still not as medically developed as the pacemakers of today. The patient who used the first generation implantable pacemaker used 22 of them during his lifetime.

Surgery is required to implant the pacemaker, although it is generally a straightforward procedure. In most cases, a local anesthetic is given and an incision is made below the left collar bone, where the pacemaker is inserted and the electrode wires are attached to the heart using a fluoroscope. Afterward, the doctor usually prescribes antibiotics as a precaution against infection as a result of the surgery.

For people who use an artificial heart pacemaker, it is mandatory for them to have occasional checkups to make sure that everything is working correctly and to see if any adjustments may be required.