Well, today I used HealthGrades for the first time. Yes, I paid the $12.95 to check out dad's cardiologist. It was worth every penny. Dr. Stidam is (as of right now) performing his pacemaker implant surgery. I found this great info below about it...
The heart has a natural pacemaker called a sinus node, which is made up of special cells that produce electrical impulses. The electrical impulses given off by the sinus node travel down electrical pathways located in the walls of the heart muscle and cause the heart to contract and pump blood. When the electrical impulses flow down the walls of the heart at regular intervals, the heart pumps at a rhythmic pace. When something interferes with the way the electrical impulses are made or the way they move down the pathways in the heart muscle, the body's natural pacemaker does not work properly.
If a patient has a heartbeat that is too fast, too slow, or frequently irregular, blood is not pumped efficiently around the body and the body's cells do not get enough oxygen and nourishment. In this situation, a physician may recommend that an artificial pacemaker be implanted in the body to ensure that the heart beats more regularly.
A pacemaker is a small, battery-operated device implanted just under the skin near the collarbone to help the heart beat regularly at an appropriate rate. Pacemakers are about the size of a matchbox and are used to treat heart arrhythmias — irregularities in your heart's natural heart rhythm. Almost everyone's heart skips a beat sometimes, and that is generally considered harmless. Some people, however, will need medication and/or a pacemaker.
A pacemaker usually has two parts: a pulse generator (which includes the battery and several electronic circuits); and a lead(s), (which is attached to the heart wall).
Pacemaker surgery is performed under local anesthesia. It is implanted just near the collarbone. If the pacemaker has only one lead, the lead is placed inside the lower right chamber. If two leads are needed, the second lead is placed in the upper right chamber. The procedure takes about one to two hours. An overnight stay is usually recommended.
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