For those who’re prone to irregular heartbeats, an implanted defibrillator is often the answer. They monitor the heartbeat and when they detect and irregularity they correct it with a targeted shock which jumps the heart back onto the right track. For a lot of patients this can effectively save their lives and lead to a generally better standard of living that they’d otherwise experience.
Most of these implants are transvenus, in that they have wires which travel through arteries directly into the heart, so as to deliver the shock directly. This is effective but can lead to all sorts of complications. Firstly, having any sort of foreign body in the heart is potentially dangerous as it can cause clots or other blockages as well as stimulating infections. Also, despite all the wondrous medical advances in this area over the last couple of years, transvenus defibrillators occasionally fail. This can lead to them simply not working or them delivering charges when charges aren’t needed, which can be painful and potentially damaging. If this happens then the wires have to be removed, this is an invasive surgery which can cause all sorts of complications on its own.
In an attempt counter the potential issues which wires can cause, scientists and doctors have recently come up with a new form of implantable defibrillator. This model has an electrode planted just above the heart and just under the skin, without actually touching the heart at all. The surgery required is a lot less invasive and the potential damage and risks involved are much lower as it’s relatively easily removed.
These sub-dermal defibrillators are very new and they’ve only just started to be put into use. They’re better suited to younger people as they require less invasive and potentially damaging procedures to get them up and running.
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