What is an implanted pacemaker?
An implanted pacemaker is a small device that is implanted under the skin and sends electrical signals to start or regulate a slow heartbeat. An implanted pacemaker may be used to stimulate the heartbeat if the heart’s natural pacemaker (the sinoatrial, or SA, node) is not functioning properly, has developed an abnormally slow heart rate or rhythm, or if the electrical pathways are blocked. Rhythm problems are common in teens and young adults with congenital heart disease due to changes in scar tissue and other results from prior surgeries and procedures. Children’s pacemakers may be placed under the skin in one of several locations. Young children (infants, toddler, preschool, and young school-aged children) often have the pacemaker generator placed in the abdomen, since the fatty tissue found there can help protect the generator from normal everyday childhood activities such as playing. As a child gets older (nearing adolescence), the generator is often placed in the shoulder area, j
