Generate electrical signals that make the heart contract independently of the nervous system
Act as a natural pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A small, battery-operated electronic device implanted in a person's chest that sends out regular, adjustable electrical impulses to produce normal contractions of the heart
Heart's natural pacemaker process
Can become disrupted
Causing abnormal heart rhythm (abnormally slow or fast, or irregular)
Fitting of artificial pacemakers
1. Wires are guided along a vein to the chamber of the heart that needs to be stimulated
2. The lead extends to the pacemaker, which is fitted between the skin of the upper chest and the chest muscle
The fitting of artificial pacemakers is one of the most common types of heart surgery performed in the UK
