A pacemaker is a small device that's placed in the chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. This device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate.There are about 3 million people worldwide with pacemakers, and each year 600 000 pacemakers are implanted. With rare exception, implantation of a pacemaker does not change the recipient’s activities or lifestyle. Although most people who receive pacemakers are aged 60 years or older, people of any age, even children, may need pacemakers. Faulty electrical signaling in the heart causes arrhythmias. Pacemakers use low-energy electrical pulses to overcome this faulty electrical signaling. Pacemakers can speed up a slow heart rhythm.
