What Is An Implantable Defibrillator?

When people refer to an Implantable Defibrillator, they are actually discussing the system — the defibrillator and the leads. A defibrillator continuously monitors the heart and automatically delivers therapies to correct fast heart rhythms § Leads are thin, soft insulated wires about the size of a spaghetti noodle. The leads carry the electrical impulse from the defibrillator to your heart and relay information about the heart’s natural activity back to the implantable defibrillator

Why Do I Need An Implantable Defibrillator (ICD)?

If the doctor has suggested that you need an ICD, you may have experienced or may be at risk of experiencing abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. These life-threatening rhythms can cause sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which results in death if not immediately treated. If you’re at risk for sudden cardiac arrest, an ICD is the best treatment option available. 98% of people survive a lethal arrhythmia when treated with defibrillation.7 Only 5% of people survive SCA without defibrillator.

How Does An ICD Work?

An implantable defibrillator is designed to monitor your heart rhythm 24 hours a day. If your heart is beating too fast or irregularly, the device will first send small painless electrical signals to correct your heart rate. If the fast heart rate continues, the defibrillator will deliver a shock to restore your heart to a normal rate. The implantable defibrillator can also treat slow heart rhythms by sending electrical pulses to the heart to correct it. Your doctor will program the ICD to deliver the most effective therapies for your specific heart condition.

What Is Tachycardia?

Tachycardia is a condition where the heart beats too fast. A healthy heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute, pumping about 75 gallons of blood every hour. Exercise, stress or fear can cause the heart to beat faster, but this is a normal response. With tachycardia, the heart beats at more than 100 beats per minute and can beat as fast as 400 beats per minute for no specific reason. At this rate the heart is not able to pump blood effectively to the body and brain. There are different types of fast heart rhythms that can occur in either the upper chambers (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. (Atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation start in the upper chambers of the heart.) Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation start in the lower chambers of the heart.

What Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is an electrical problem with the heart that triggers a dangerously fast heart rhythm (ventricular fibrillation). The rapid, irregular heart rhythm causes the heart to quiver rather than contract or pump. When the heart stops pumping blood, oxygen cannot reach the body and brain. If not treated immediately, SCA can be fatal. One of the nation’s top killers, sudden cardiac arrest, claims more lives than breast cancer, AIDS or lung cancer.