Devices: Pacemakers and Defibrillators
Tiny devices that help regulate the heart’s rhythm have been around since the first cardiac pacemaker was implanted in the late 1950s. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs, came along in 1980. Pacemakers and ICDs are both battery-powered devices that are implanted below the skin to keep track of an individual’s heart rate using thin wires, called leads, that connect to the heart. If an abnormal heart rhythm is detected, the devices automatically deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat. Although the devices work in similar ways, their duties are different....