Kaitlin Abbate

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Artificial PacemakerThe Heart

• Kaitlin Abbate

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The Healthy Heart

• Natural Pacemaker Sinoatrial Node (SA node)
• Located in the right atrium
• Sends electric impulses from atriums to
  ventricles which causes them to contract

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• Contractions are what allows blood to flow
• What happens when SA node does not work properly?
• Blood cannot flow like it should, so we need a
  substitute

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The Artificial Pacemaker!

• A small device placed in the chest to control
  abnormal heart rhythms
• Uses a computer memory to generate electronic
  signals at the right pace
• Doctors pre-determine the right pace and it can
  be adjusted at any time

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Who needs a pacemaker?

• Atrial Fibrillation heart beats very rapidly and
  chaotically
• Not life threatening itself but may lead to
  stroke or chest pain
• Bradycardia heart beats too slowly
• Caused by age or heart block
• Heart Block?the electrical signal is slowed or
  disrupted as it moves through chambers of heart
• Caused by a heart attack or muscular dystrophy

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Anyone else? Yes!

• Syncope the common faint
• Heart rate sometimes
• becomes very slow
• Heart Failure heart cannot supply enough blood
  to meet bodys needs
• Caused by heart disease, hypertension,
  cardiomyopathy

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What does a pacemaker look like?

• Composed of TWO main parts
• Generator (battery)
• Leads (wires)

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The Generator

• Acts as a very small computer
• Sends out sparks of electricity that trigger the
  heart to beat
• Also records hearts electrical activity and
  heart rhythm so doctors can better adjust the
  pacemaker.
• This way, each pacemaker works according to
  individual needs

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The Leads

• Wires threaded through veins and attached to
  heart muscle, carrying the impulses
• Single Chamber one lead in ventricle OR atria
• Dual Chamber one lead in ventricle AND atria
• Biventricular one lead in atria and one lead in
  EACH ventricle

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Single Chambered Dual Chambered
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The Surgery Overview

• Requires MINOR surgery
• Takes 2-3 hours
• Generally, NOT put to sleep
• However, most children are for obvious reasons
• Stay in hospital overnight
• Return to normal activities a few days after
  surgery

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The Actual Procedure

1. Inject local numbing medication
2. Put needle in a large vein in shoulder
3. Thread the leads of pacemaker through the needle
   and into correct places in heart muscle
4. Cut a small hole into skin of chest and place
   pacemaker battery just under skin
5. Connect the wires to the battery and test
6. Sew em up!

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Located just under the skin
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Life Post-Pacemaker

• Electrical Devices can interfere!
• Cell phones, ipods
• Microwaves
• Metal detectors
• Electrical generators
• However, only long periods of contact really have
  an impact
• Also, this danger is lowered with newer devices

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Limited Physical Activity?

• Not really! One can pretty much participate in
  sports, and even strenuous exercises
• Still, ask your doctor though, cases may vary
• However, full contact sports should always be
  avoided
• do not want to disrupt the battery or move any
  wires
• BAD

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Pacemaker Maintenance

• Pacemakers do not last forever
• Battery actually last between 5-15 years with 6-8
  years being average
• Wires usually last a little longer
• All depends on how active the pacemaker is
• Regular check-ups with doctor are a must to make
  sure the battery/wires are up to par

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Pacemakers for Pets!

• Used for the same reasons and same types
• Usually less expensive
• Pacemakers used are actually ones that power
  source is below acceptable limits for people
• Implanted generally the same way
• Except most wires inserted through jugular vein
  rather than shoulder vein simply because bodies
  differ
• Animals that have been able to accept pacemakers
  so far
• Dogs, cats
• Cows, bulls
• Horses
• Sheep, goats

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The End!
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References/Picture Sources

• Artificial Pacemaker -." Wikipedia, the Free
  Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 21
  Mar. 2010. lthttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificia
  l_pacemakergt.
• "HowStuffWorks "Chambers and Valves""
  Howstuffworks "Health" Discovery, 1998. Web. 24
  Mar. 2010. lthttp//health.howstuffworks.com/heart2
  .htmgt.
• "Living with a Pacemaker." National Heart, Lung
  and Blood Institute. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
  lthttp//www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pace
  /pace_lifestyle.htmlgt.
• "Pacemakers." Pets With Pacemakers - Info and
  Support for Pet Pacemaker Recipients. Web. 25
  Mar. 2010. lthttp//www.petswithpacemakers.org/inde
  x.php?optioncom_contentviewsectionlayoutblog
  id12Itemid119gt.
• "Pacemakers." Welcome to the London Cardiac
  Institute. London Cardiac Institute. Web. 22 Mar.
  2010. lthttp//londoncardiac.ca/pages/pacer.htmgt.
• "Pacemakers and Abnormal Heart Rhythms." WebMD -
  Better Information. Better Health. Web. 25 Mar.
  2010. lthttp//www.webmd.com/heart-disease/abnormal
  -rhythyms-pacemakergt.
• lthttp//biomed.brown.edu/Courses/BI108/BI108_2008_
  Groups/group10/img/pacemaker/2.jpggt
• lthttp//www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/200
  8/08/799205_96399001.jpggt
• lthttp//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8
  2/St_Jude_Medical_pacemaker_in_hand.jpggt
• lthttp//www.southwestlondoncardiacnetwork.nhs.uk/I
  mages/pacemaker_cartoon.jpggt