A pacemaker is designed to mimic the heart’s natural rhythm when there are disturbances, such as pauses, in the natural rhythm. The pacemaker has two main purposes — pacing and sensing.
- Pacing: A pacemaker will send an electrical impulse to the heart when the heart’s own rhythm is too slow or interrupted.
- Sensing: A pacemaker will also “sense” (monitor) the heart’s natural electrical or mechanical activity. When the pacemaker senses a natural heartbeat, it will not deliver a pacing pulse.
What does a pacemaker look like?
It depends on the type of pacemaker:
- Traditional pacemakers are a small, round devices about the size of a tea bag and include leads — thin, soft, insulated wires about the size of a spaghetti noodle — which are connected directly to the heart and deliver the electrical impulse from the pacemaker.
- Leadless pacemakers are less than a tenth of the size of traditional pacemakers and are the approximate shape and size of a large vitamin capsule. These devices do not require leads, as they are implanted directly into the heart through a minimally invasive procedure to deliver pacing therapy.
Traditional pacemaker
Leadless pacemaker
Vitamin
Related pages
Pace of Mind is a Medtronic educational initiative about new leadless pacing options for patients.
Answers are generated for generic purposes and products may not be suitable for everyone. Product suitability and therapies should be discussed with a Healthcare Professional. The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. For a full indications of use, contraindications, precautions, warnings, and potential adverse events, please refer to the Instructions for Use.