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An EP study is a procedure performed in a special lab in the hospital; the study attempts to reproduce an abnormal heart rhythm to diagnose arrhythmias.

Depending on a patient's heart condition, a pacemaker may help reduce shortness of breath by helping the heart beat normally. It's important to slowly return to normal activities and to report any issues, like shortness of breath, to the clinic. They may be able to re-program the pacemaker in a way that helps address shortness of breath.

Talk to a doctor about any additional concerns or questions.

An insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) is another name for an implantable heart monitor, injectable cardiac monitor, or loop recorder. An insertable cardiac monitor is a small medical device that can watch your heart for abnormal heart rhythms over time. It is sometimes called a loop recorder because it is continuously recording the heart rhythm, or on a loop. If it finds something abnormal, it saves the recording and sends it to the doctor or care team.

Specific components will vary depending on the type of device, but generally a heart device contains a battery, capacitor (the component of an ICD that stores and delivers charges) and electronics that control operation.

An extravascular ICD is an implantable cardioverter defibrillator where the device is placed under the skin below the left armpit, and the lead is placed outside the heart and veins.

Most implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) have a method of stopping dangerous rhythms without a shock. This is called antitachycardia pacing, or ATP. ATP uses specifically timed pacing pulses to attempt to disrupt and end a dangerous rhythm allowing the heart to return to normal beating without a shock. Ask a doctor about ICDs with ATP functionality.

No, heart devices come in different shapes and sizes.

Typically, an ICD delivers between 20–40 joules per shock. Talk to a doctor or check with the device manufacturer to discuss programming settings that best fit individual needs.

These are different pacing modes your doctor can program for your device. This tells the device how to function when it comes to pacing and sensing. Each letter indicates something different (A = Atrium; V = Ventricle; D = Dual or both A and V; and O=none). The first letter indicates the chamber of the heart being paced. The second letter indicates the chamber of the heart being sensed or monitored. The third letter indicates how the device should respond when it senses a cardiac event (T = Triggered; I = Inhibited; D = Trigger or inhibit; and O = none). Finally, the fourth letter, usually “R,” means that the rate modulation function in the device is turned on (R = Rate modulation on; O or blank = none or no rate modulation). In this case DDDR means both the atrium and ventricle is paced, both the atrium and ventricle are sensed, the device can trigger or inhibit sensed events and rate modulation is turned on.

These are different pacing modes your doctor can program for your device.  This tells the device how to function when it comes to pacing and sensing.  Each letter indicates something different (A = Atrium; V = Ventricle; D = Dual or both A and V; and O = none). The first letter indicates the chamber of the heart being paced. The second letter indicates the chamber of the heart being sensed or monitored. The third letter indicates how the device should respond when it senses a cardiac event (T = Triggered; I = Inhibited; D = Trigger or Inhibit; and O = none). Finally, the fourth letter, usually “R,” means that the rate modulation function in the device is turned on (R = Rate modulation on; O or blank = none or no rate modulation). In this case DDD means both the atrium and ventricle is paced, both the atrium and ventricle are sensed, and the device can trigger or inhibit sensed events. A VVI mode means the pacemaker will pace in the ventricle, sense in the ventricle, and inhibit sensed events.