Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
BOOKS
Gersh, Bernard J., ed. Mayo Clinic Heart Book. New York:William Morrow and Company, Inc., 2000.
PERIODICALS
Gregoratos, Gabriel, et al. "ACC/AHA Guidelines...
for Implantation of Cardiac Pacemakers and Antiarrhythmia Devices."Journal of the American College of Cardiologists 31, no. 5 (April 1998): 1175–1209.
Moss, A. "Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Therapy: TheSickest Patients Benefit Most."Circulation 101 (April 2000): 1638–1640.
Sears, Samuel F. Jr., et al. "Fear of Exertion Following ICDStorm: Considering ICD Shock and Learning History."Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation 21 (January/February 2001): 47.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Heart Association. National Center. 7272 GreenvilleAvenue, Dallas, TX, 75231-4596. (214) 373-6300.
North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. 6Strathmore Road, Natick, MA, 01760-2499. (508) 647-0100.
OTHER
"Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator."American Academy of Family Physicians. May 7, 2001.
"Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICDs)"North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. 2000.
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Other Information
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a small battery-powered electrical impulse generator which is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation. The device is programmed to detect cardiac arrhythmia and correct it by delivering a jolt of electricity. In current variants, the ability to revert ventricular fibrillation has been extended to include both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias as well as the ability to perform biventricular pacing in patients with congestive heart failure or bradycardia.
The process of implantation of an ICD is similar to implantation of a pacemaker. Similar to pacemakers, these devices typically include electrode wire/s which pass through a vein to the right chambers of the heart, usually being lodged in the apex of the right ventricle. The difference is that pacemakers are more often temporary and generally designed to consistently correct bradycardia, while AICDs are often permanent safeguards against sudden abnormalities.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implantable_cardioverter-defibrillator
Other Information
In 2006, 2,192 heart transplantations were performed in the United States. There are 257 transplant hospitals in the United States, 135 of which perform heart transplantations. (http://www.unos.org/)
From: Unos.org
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