In addition to drugs and nonsurgical procedures, several types of surgery can restore your heart’s rhythm. Implantation of a pacemaker can treat bradycardia (slow heartbeat); an internal cardioverter- de?brillator can correct more serious arrhythmias; or a procedure called maze surgery can be performed on some people with atrial ?brillation. Pacemakers A pacemaker is a battery-powered [...]
Once your doctor diagnoses an arrhythmia through your symptoms or an examination, he or she will need to determine where it originates and whether it requires treatment; that is, whether it is causing symptoms or putting you at risk for more serious problems in the future. The electrocardiogram is a very important tool that your [...]
Every second or so, an electrical impulse originating in the right atrium of your heart travels through the heart and triggers a single heartbeat, or contraction of the heart. A group of specialized cells in the muscle tissue, called the sinoatrial (SA) node, initiates the signal, acting as your heart’s natural pacemaker. The impulse travels [...]
