A pacemaker is a small device that's placed (implanted) in your chest to help control your heartbeat. It's used to prevent your heart from beating too slowly. Implanting a pacemaker in your chest requires a surgical procedure. A pacemaker is also called a cardiac pacing device.

What is the pacemaker of the heart called?

The SA node is often referred to as a natural pacemaker because it generates a series of electrical pulses at regular intervals. The pulse is then sent to a group of cells known as the atrioventricular node (AV node). The AV node relays the pulse to the 2 lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles).

What is the difference between a pacemaker and an ICD?

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a specialized implantable electronic device designed to directly treat a cardiac tachyarrhythmia, whereas a permanent pacemaker is an implanted device that provides electrical stimuli, thereby causing cardiac contraction when intrinsic myocardial electrical activity is ...