For patients experiencing irregular and unhealthy heartbeat, pacemaker surgery may be their best option. Symptoms of an unhealthy heartbeat include shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness. Bradycardia is the medical term used to refer to the condition of having irregular heartbeat. Another heart condition that may require pacemaker surgery is called Atrial fibrillation. This heart complication involves the irregular beating of the heart’s upper chambers. If such an irregular heartbeat cannot support blood and oxygen supply and circulation, heart failure may result.
Is Pacemaker Surgery Necessary?
If no underlying cause for your irregular heartbeat can be determined, you may be a candidate for receiving a pacemaker. Pacemakers are small devices that are implanted in the heart in order to detect your heart rate and to emit electrical impulses that inspire the regular beating of the heart. Pacemakers are becoming more and more flexible nowadays. Their specific functions can be varied based on the patient’s needs. This is done by the physician who programs the pacemakers. Pacemakers function like miniature computers which can be programmed with software.
Pacemakers are usually recommended for those experiencing cardiac distress:
- Since the pacemaker works to regulate the rhythm of your heart, a pacemaker can reduce and eradicate bradycardia symptoms.
- This means a pacemaker can eliminate your shortness of breath, giving you more energy for physical activities.
- A pacemaker can also work to calculate your normal heart rate and determine if an increase is a result of a pacing complication or an increase in physical activity.
- If there is a problem with pacing, your pacemaker can promote atrioventricular synchrony, which refers to the contraction of the ventricles and the atria in order to pump blood.
With pacemaker surgery, patients will not be required to have large incisions and other major surgeries, thereby eliminating long recovery periods. The incision made for the pacemaker implant can completely heal within 2-4 weeks. Those who receive pacemaker implants can resume their day-today activities within a few weeks. In fact, patients find that they are capable of doing more activities after the surgery.
Risks
Just like any other medical procedure, there are a few risks involved in pacemaker surgeries. Rare complications may result from faulty pacemakers or lead wires, or dislodging of wires due to improper wire placement or strenuous activity. Other risks of pacemaker surgery include: nerve damage around the site of the incision, blood vessel and tissue damage around the site of incision and heart, a collapsed lung, and bruising around the area of the pacemaker placement.
Although these risks and complications occur, it is quite rare and only a few individuals have encountered such conditions. In particular, only around 5 percent of patients who have received pacemaker implants have encountered such complications after their surgeries.
Pacemakers and Medical Malpractice
If you believe your doctor has negligently recommended pacemaker surgery when it was not necessary, or if your doctor negligently made an error in your pacemaker surgery, you can sue your physician for medical malpractice. You will need to prove that his level of care in recommending or implanting your pacemaker was below that which a reasonable doctor would have provided and that this breach of care caused you injury.
Getting Help
If you do believe you have a case for medical malpractice, consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney can help you to determine if you have a case and can help you gather the evidence you need to successfully argue your case in court.
