Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 15: Sudden death is one of the most common causes of death in India and worldwide. Studies have shown that 60 per cent of all cardiac diseases are due to sudden cardiac arrest occurring due to Arrhythmia. Cardiologists believe that if a pacemaker (ICD) is implanted at the right time, sudden death can be prevented.
Each year 1-2 million individuals worldwide die due to lack of access to pacemakers. In India, about 1 lakh patients suffer from Bradycardia (slow heart rate) every year. However, only 20,000 patients resort to pacemakers in India annually. The reason for this is lack of awareness amongst patients and also amongst general physicians.
According to Dr H K Bali, Chairman Cardiac Sciences, Paras Super Specialty Hospital, Panchkula, a pacemaker is basically a small device which is placed under the skin of a patient’s chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. Initially they were developed only as a backup for patients with slower heart rate, by giving electrical impulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate but today, pacemaker therapy is synonymous for managing all Arrhythmias (abnormal slow or fast heart rate) or heart rhythm-related disease.
“Newer technologies in past few years have emerged as device therapy of Arrhythmias (ICDs), device therapy for heart failure (cardiac resynchronization therapy, CRT), and device therapy in combination for Arrhythmias and heart failure (combo-device). These implantable medical devices are prescribed for controlling fast abnormal heart rhythms, which are harbinger of death if not controlled within minutes, and also to improve cardiac function in patients of heart failure (hearts inability to pump blood),” he added.
Dr Bali said this, in turn, has led to better patient outcomes, lesser side effects and hospitalizations and improved longevity including quality of life of some patients with heart failure. The technology has also helped in lowering cost of managing the disease.
He said, “Broadly, there are two types of pacemakers available-external and internal. The external pacemakers are utilized to stabilize the patient till the internal pacemaker is actually implanted”.
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