Did you know?

BUT SEX CAN SAVE YOUR HEART, TOO

Men who have sex twice a week or more appear less likely to develop heart disease than those get busy once a month or less, according to a study in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Pacemaker Clinic

A pacemaker is a medical device used to maintain adequate heart rate most commonly when that heart’s natural pacemaker is not fast enough by sending electrical impulses to the electrodes to contract the heart muscles. Modern pacemakers are externally programmable and allow the cardiologist to select the optimum pacing modes for individual patients.

Our clinic provides evaluation and ongoing follow-up for patients with implanted pacemakers and defibrillators to monitor the life of the device and ensures that each device works properly. We help our patients regularly monitor the battery life of their pacemaker to ensure it keeps working well as long as possible.

Permanent Pacemaker

A pacemaker has a pulse generator (battery or box) that sits under the skin below your collarbone, and 1-3 pacing leads  are inserted through the arm veins into the heart. The choice of pacemaker type depends on your symptoms and underlying heart disease.

Dual Chamber Pacemaker

A dual chamber pacemaker carries electrical impulses from the pulse generator to both the right ventricle and the right atrium of the patient’s heart. The impulses help control the timing of contractions between the two chambers.

Single Chamber Pacemaker

Single chamber pacemaker is a type of pacemaker that usually carries electrical impulses from the pulse generator to the right ventricle of the patient’s heart.

Biventricular Pacemaker

A biventricular pacemaker paces both ventricles so that all or most of the ventricular muscle pumps together. This allows the heart to pump blood more effectively. The treatment that uses biventricular pacemaker is often referred to as cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) since it reset’s the ventricles’ pumping mechanism. It is also a treatment option for people with heart failure whose heart’s electrical systems have been damaged.

01.

Preparation

Several tests may be conducted to find out the cause of the patient’s irregular heartbeat before the doctor can decide if the patient requires a pacemaker. This test includes an electrocardiogram, holter monitoring, echocardiogram, and exercise stress test.

02.

Procedure

Surgery to implant the pacemaker is usually performed while the patient is awake and typically takes a few hours. During surgery, one or more flexible, insulated wires (leads, or electrodes) are inserted into a major vein under or near the patient’s collarbone and guided to the heart with the help of X-ray images. One end of each wire is secured to the appropriate position in the patient’s heart, while the other end is attached to the pulse generator, which is usually implanted under the skin beneath the collarbone.

03.

Results

The pacemarkers battery life should last 5 to 15 years — the average pacemaker’s battery life — after the pacemaker is implanted. When a pacemaker’s battery wears out, the pacemaker’s pulse generator is replaced. The leads of the patient’s pacemaker can be left in place — though they may need to be replaced eventually — and the procedure to change the pacemaker’s battery is often faster and requires less recovery time than the first procedure to implant the pacemaker.

Pacemaker Clinic

Precaution should be taken by the patient during the first few weeks after the surgery. It is recommended to leave incision uncovered. A dry dressing may be applied if there is oozing from the site. It is normal to have a small amount of bruising at the site.

There may be slight soreness around the incision site. If required, pain medication may be taken to relieve this discomfort. Seek medical assistance if the patient has a large amount of bruising or develop a hard lump on or near the incision. Notify the doctor immediately if the patient’s incision becomes red, hot, more painful, swollen or begins to drain fluid. These symptoms, along with a fever, could indicate an infection. The patient may shower and gently pat dry your incision. Be careful not to get the stitches caught in the towel (or any other material).

The patient will be instructed to make an appointment with the doctor or with the surgeon for suture removal within 10-14 days. In the four weeks following the patient’s implant, it is required to avoid any sudden, jerky movements of the arms, stretching or reaching over the head, or circular type movements involving the shoulder. Most patients may resume regular activities in 4 weeks, though it is good to discuss with the patient’s cardiologist regarding  the activities that are safe for the patient.

Understanding you heart

Six Important Things About Your Heart

Adult heart beats about 10,000 times each day 01.

Do the math, and that’s at least about one beat per second, or 60 to 100 times per minute, according to American Heart Association.

Age and fitness level affect your heart rate 02.

Generally, as children grow or adults get fitter, the heart rates gets slower.

Heart disease isn’t only the number one killer of men, it’s also the top killer for women 03.

Your heart doesn’t care if you’re from Mars or Venus.

Dr Janssens Consulting Services

04. Want to know how big your heart is? Make a fist.

Heart size depends on the size of the person as well as the condition of their heart. Generally speaking, a healthy heart is about the size of the person’s fist.

05. Your heart rate drops while you sleep.

At night, it’s common for heart rates to drop below 60bpm.

06. Heart attack symptoms are different for men and women.

Although heart disease is an equal opportunity killer, symptoms of heart attack show up differently in men versus women.

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