About Your Pacemaker (MUMH)

Your doctor has told you that you need pacemaker. What does this mean? The most common reason is for a slow heart rate. A slow heart rate can lead to many things, including low blood pressure, lightheadedness, and fainting. A pacemaker will monitor your heart rate, and when it gets too low, it’ll give your heart a small painless pulse to keep your heart beating at the desired rate.

A pacemaker is a small disk that fits in the palm of your hand. It will be placed under your skin beneath the collarbone. Your pacemaker will have several small wires, call leads, that will be threaded through the veins beneath your collarbone to your heart. The leads send electrical messages between the pacemaker and your heart.