Pacemaker Clinic

The Team

The clinic is led by highly experienced and qualified cardiac physiologists that have chosen to specialise in pacing and cardiac rhythm management.

Our physiologists are a constant feature of your device care. They will be present at your device implant and for your subsequent life-long device follow up so you will get to know them well.

We work closely with the medical team, specialist cardiac device and arrhythmia nurses to optimise your care and can advise you and your relatives on all aspects of living with an implanted cardiac device.

Should you need to contact us please ring the pacemaker office on 01253 957739. We are not always there to answer the phone but please leave a message on the answering machine stating your name, hospital/reference number and contact telephone number and we will get back to you.

Follow up

After you have had your cardiac device implanted you will be seen in pacemaker clinic in approximately 4-6 weeks. Your device function will be tested by the specialised physiologists who will review battery life, lead integrity and the range of diagnostic data that modern devices provide. You will also receive a device identification card that you should carry with you at all times.

Our CRT and ICD patients will also be reviewed by the cardiac device nurse team who will review and optimise your medications and examine your wound.

Your future follow up schedule depends on several factors including your device type. Normally you will be seen every 6-12 months for routine follow up. Our CRT and ICD patients will be offered home monitoring, which allows the pacing team to periodically check on your device from home. This service is something that we hope to roll out to all our cardiac device patients in the future.

Types of Cardiac Devices

The type of cardiac device you will have implanted is determined by your symptoms and their underlying cause. Which device you receive will be explained to you by your Consultant Cardiologist prior to you being listed for the procedure.

Pacemakers are usually implanted for when you experience symptoms that have been correlated with your own heartbeat going slowly or even stopping. They involve a pulse generator (battery) and either one or two leads that are placed into the right side of your heart. The pacemaker works ‘on demand’ – meaning that it will only pace your heart when it needs to stop your heart rate dropping too low.

Occasionally, you may require a more advanced pacemaker, commonly referred to as a biventricular pacemaker or CRT device. These devices are usually offered to patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure – when the heart no longer pumps efficiently – and involves the positioning of either two or three leads. CRT devices can help improve symptoms associated with heart failure but doesn’t cure the condition. Around 70% of patients feel better after their implant.

You can find out more about life with a pacemaker at the link below.

Pacemakers - how do pacemakers work - how are they fitted - BHF

These devices, commonly referred to as ICDs, are implanted in a similar fashion to pacemakers and you may require one, two or three leads. ICDs treat life threatening arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) by pacing your heart very fast or by delivering a shock to restore a normal heart rhythm. They may be used as a preventative measure for patients at high risk of cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrest (primary prevention) or for patients who have had a life-threatening arrhythmia and remain at high risk of having another episode (secondary prevention). Modern ICDs also have a pacing function should it be required.

Sometimes you may fit the criteria for an S-ICD. These devices work in a similar way to ICDs but don’t involve positioning leads into your heart. Your consultant will discuss the best type of ICD for your clinical condition with you. You can find out more about ICDs via the link below:

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) - BHF

What to do in the event of a shock from your device

Our ICD patients will be invited to our ICD information and support group meetings that are held every 3 months. You will be presented with information regarding the clinical and social implications of living with an ICD. The meetings are run by the device nurse and physiologist teams and give you an opportunity to get answers to your ICD questions and queries.