The pacemaker does not prolong life, nor does it cause the heart to continue to beat indefinitely. Once the person stops breathing, there is no longer oxygen being sent through the body.

Will a pacemaker keep a dying person alive?

Pacemakers are not resuscitative devices, and they will not keep a dying patient alive. Most dying patients become acidotic before cardiac arrest, which effectively renders a pacemaker nonfunctional, as under such conditions, the myocardium does not respond to the pacemaker's discharges.

Does having a pacemaker extend the life expectancy?

As per research, patients with a biventricular pacemaker have better survival rates after the diagnosis is made. The average life increases approximately between 8.5 and 20 years, depending on the overall health, age, and lifestyle. All subgroup women had significantly longer survival than men.