How does the pacemaker work?

The pacemaker senses your heart's natural impulses and sends an electrical impulse if your sinoatrial node does not fire off an impulse or is too slow to fire one off. Your pacemaker may have one or more wires placed within different chambers of your heart, depending on the problem with your heart’s electrical system. A pacemaker will allow your heart to work on its own and it only fires off impulses if your heart rate falls below a set level. So it will only work ‘on demand’.

Before you leave hospital your pacemaker will be programmed to the best settings for you. It can be fine tuned at your follow-up appointments. You should not notice your pacemaker working, but you may notice that your heart is beating faster than it was before. If you have palpitations, the pacemaker will not stop this so you may need to discuss them with your cardiologist.