Is a defibrillator implantation an open heart operation?
No, it isn’t. Implanting an ICD is much simpler than it was a few years ago and often takes less than an hour. The doctor who performs this procedure is the best source of information about what type of anesthesia will work best for an individual patient. As a rule, though, patients do very well with sedation to keep them in a light state of sleep, in combination with local anesthetic to completely deaden the area where the device is implanted. The incision is usually a small one — three or four inches wide — and travels horizontally on the chest. After the ICD is in place and the incision is closed, the doctor applies a bandage to protect the site and returns the patient to his or her hospital bed, often with no trip to the recovery room. Most patients notice some soreness once the local anesthetic has worn away that this typically lasts about a week, getting less and less each day. As they would after any operation, doctors advise patients with new ICDs to avoid getting the site we
