Implantable defibrillators

About implantable defibrillators
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are battery-operated devices surgically implanted in the heart to prevent life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, or irregularities in the heart’s rate or rhythm. Guidelines developed by the American College of Cardiologists, the American Heart Assn. and the Heart Rhythm Society indicate that patients who may benefit from an ICD include:
• Those who have had a ventricular arrhythmia before.
• Those who have suffered a heart attack that weakened and scarred the heart.
• Those with mild to moderate symptoms of heart failure and weakened heart function.
—Holly Selby