Pacemakers Today

The modern pacemaker is a small, battery-operated device that is inserted under the skin to help the heart beat normally and at a regular rate. The pacemaker has leads that travel through a large vein to the heart. The leads send the electrical impulses to the heart to tell it to beat at a certain rate. There are three types of modern pacemakers: single-chamber, dual-chamber, and biventricular pacemakers. Pacemakers can be implanted permanently or for a limited time. The single-chamber carries electrical impulses to the right ventricle of the heart. The dual-chamber type carries electrical impulses to the right ventricle and the right atrium of the heart. It helps regulate the contractions between the two chambers. The biventricular pacemaker stimulates both lower chambers of the heart to make the heart beat more efficiently. This type of pacemaker is for people with heart failure and irregular electrical systems. Every year roughly 1 million people have pacemakers implanted worldwide.

"Every time my heart beats it is because of my pacemaker....It really has saved my life."

~ Fred Hoiberg