Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

The history of cardiac pacing therapy must be viewed within the broader framework of electro-diagnosis and electro-therapy. Electro-therapy has a simple core concept: the use of an outside source of electricity to stimulate human tissue in various ways to produce a beneficial therapeutic effect. This has shown a prolonged, halting development through the ages, sometimes being looked upon as mysterious magic produced by complex machines. The field of paediatric open heart surgery gave a major impetus to the development of pacemakers since heart block often accompanied impeccably performed intra-cardiac repairs of congenital defects. This review deals various of aspects of pacemaker functioning, indications, contraindications and complications