Implantation of pacemakers and cardioverter-defibrillators

Włodzimierz Kargul; Rafał Młynarski; Eugeniusz Piłat

Vol 7, No 4 (2005)

Published online: 2006-02-06

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Implantation of pacemakers and cardioverter-defibrillators

Włodzimierz Kargul, Rafał Młynarski, Eugeniusz Piłat

Chirurgia Polska 2005;7(4):267-279.

Vol 7, No 4 (2005)

Published online: 2006-02-06

Abstract

Since the implantation of the first cardiac pacemaker in 1958 by Ake Sening and Rune Elmqvist, there has been enormous progress in this field of medicine, including both the range of the equipment and the techniques of implantation. Today, electrotherapy is a rapidly developing field of invasive cardiology. There is a wide range of devices which can be implanted: pacemakers, implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and CRT - Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy pacemakers for biventricular stimulation. In this paper, a description of the methods of implantation is presented, including a short description of the equipment which can be implanted. Special emphasis was placed on the surgical side of the described procedures as well as the possible complications of permanent cardiac stimulation. An additional section contains information about patients’ activity and medical examinations which can be done safely after this kind of operation.