 The
Beat Goes On
It may be smaller than a deck of cards but don’t be fooled
by its diminutive size: the atrial defibrillator performs an enormous
job. Developed less than two years ago, the tiny device is implanted
into the patient’s chest with electrical leads inserted into
the heart. When it detects a rapid, irregular heart rhythm, it delivers
a small jolt, restoring a normal rhythm immediately and effectively.
Atrial fibrillation is the most frequently occurring arrhythmia.
It affects more than one million Americans. Each year, 160,000 new
cases are diagnosed in the U.S. It accounts for more hospitalizations
than any other heart rhythm disorder.
The condition is common in people over the age of 50 and its symptoms—shortness
of breath, dizziness, fatigue, chest pain and a pounding, fluttering
or racing heartbeat—can be disturbing and compromise quality
of life. Many people give up favorite activities such as swimming
and jogging, afraid that exercise will cause their heart to beat
erratically. It may also have life-threatening consequences: patients
are five times more likely to have a stroke. They may also experience
weakening of the heart muscle, which can lead to heart failure.
In the past, people with atrial fibrillation were treated with
complex medications. Patients required a hospital stay to correct
it. The new device has a small computer chip that determines
whether the heart is beating irregularly and fast. When it detects
an irregularity, it shocks the heart, restoring its natural rhythm.
The shock is less than 300 volts, delivering a jolt that is more
surprising than painful.
In 1996 the first atrial defibrillator was implanted into a patient
in Sweden. Since then, 125 people around the world have been helped
by this revolutionary device.
Only 25 hospitals in America perform the implantation. Rhode Island
Hospital is the first center in New England to utilize this new
technology. The defibrillator is inserted much like a pacemaker.
The procedure takes about three hours, after fine tuning and analysis.
The implant corrects the irregular heart beat, avoids hospitalization
and allows people to have a more normal lifestyle.
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