Ongoing Therapy & Treatment
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)
 The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), like the one pictured here, is a device used to treat dangerously fast heart rates that occur in the lower chambers of the heart (the main pumping chambers). An ICD is about the same size as a pager or stopwatch. It is implanted under the skin and attached to one or more leads (insulated electrical wires), which are threaded through a vein to the heart.
An ICD detects both bradyarrhythmia (slow heart rate) and tachyarrhythmia (fast heart rate) and delivers electrical therapy to treat these rhythm disorders and restore normal rate and rhythm to the heart. Learn more about normal heart rhythm and arrhythmias.
ICD therapy is often prescribed for patients who have experienced at least one episode of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, previous cardiac arrest or drug therapy that was ineffective in controlling the tachyarrhythmia or that caused severe side effects.
The information on this Web site is provided as an overview. Please contact your physician if you would like more specific information.
ICD Implantation
An ICD implantation involves a lead inserted through a vein in the body. The tip of the lead - called an electrode - is then placed in one of the heart’s chambers. The other end of the lead is attached to the ICD.
ICD implantation generally takes place in an operating room, cardiac catheterization, or electrophysiology (EP) laboratory of a hospital. Typically, the procedure takes approximately one hour to complete.
Perhaps the most important factor in the recovery process is scheduling regular visits to the physician. During each visit, the doctor will use a computer to collect information from the device, interpret that information and, sometimes, change the settings to adapt to a change in the patient’s condition. The doctor will also check the battery of the ICD, which lasts, on average, between four and six years. When the battery begins to run low, the doctor will schedule a simple surgery to replace it. Most patients leave the hospital the same day they check in for the procedure.
For more information on ICDs from St. Jude Medical, click here.
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"I am relieved that my ICD watches over my heart 24 hours a day and I am happy that I no longer have to worry about having a Sudden Cardiac Arrest."
Karen Koch - ICD Recipient |
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"It brings me comfort just knowing that it's there for me just in case my heart goes into an arrhythmia ."
David Tupper - ICD Recipient |
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"My ICD has saved my life four times so far. That's an amazing thought."
Paul Arcangeli - ICD Recipient |
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