Permanent Pacemaker Procedures Treatment and Rehabilitation

Preparation starts before you enter the operating room. Safety is the priority. You will be asked to fast—typically no food or drink for 6 to 8 hours before the surgery. This action prevents nausea from sedation. Your doctor will review your medications. Blood thinners usually need to be managed carefully; some are stopped a few days prior, while others might be continued depending on your specific risk.

Fasting and medication

You will likely be given antibiotics through an IV right before the procedure to prevent infection. This is standard protocol for any implant surgery. The team will also clean and shave the upper chest area where the device will be placed to ensure a sterile field.

• Please stop eating or drinking as instructed, typically by midnight the night before the procedure.
• Review blood thinners with your cardiologist.
• Antibiotics are administered intravenously.
• The chest area is shaved and scrubbed with antiseptic.

  Anesthesia and Sedation

  Most pacemaker implantations are done using “conscious sedation” and local anesthesia. You are not put into a deep coma with a breathing tube. Instead, you are medicated via an IV to make you very relaxed and sleepy. You might drift in and out of sleep, but you can be woken up if needed. The doctor injects numbing medicine (like at the dentist) into the skin under the collarbone. This ensures you feel no pain, only some pressure and pushing during the work.