Implanted pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators

Implanted pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators

Checks and appropriate reprogramming should be done preoperatively by specialists and advice followed. Monopolar diathermy activity during surgery may be sensed by the pace maker as ventricular fibrillation or a paced beat. Therefore, cardioversion and over-pace modes must be turned o ff (and switched back on after surgery) or converted to ‘ventricle paced, not sensed with no response to sensing’ (VOO) mode. Bipolar diathermy should be made available at surgery .