ICD Replacement

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator - ICD 

Also known as  Automated Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (AICD)

The devices are powered by a wallet-size generator, which is usually implanted beneath the skin near the shoulder.

In the United States, about 135,000 patients   receive defibrillators each year to prevent sudden heart attack.

The patients can expect to have their defibrillators replaced through surgery every five to seven years, because the batteries wear out. 

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)  is a small battery-powered electrical impulse generator.

It  is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation.

ICDs/AICDs are permanent safeguards against sudden abnormalities.

implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is programmed to detect cardiac arrhythmia and correct it by delivering a jolt of electricity.

Some implantable cardioverter-defibrillators have  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.

 ICDs include electrode wire/s (like pacemakers) which pass through a vein to the right chambers of the heart, usually being lodged in the apex of the right ventricle.

 Newer versions of these devices are small enough to be installed through blood vessels, eliminating the need for open-chest surgery.

How ICDs work 

1. Constantly monitor the rate and rhythm of the heart
2. Delivers therapies by way of an electrical shock (when thee electrical manifestions of the heart activity exceeds the preset number)