AICD vs Pacemaker – Difference and Comparison

What is AICD?

When the electrical machine in the heart fails to regulate heartbeat, it can cause life-threatening irregular cardiac rhythms, necessitating the use of an Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD).

An AICD is a small implanted device that continuously monitors your heart and, if it detects a harmful irregular rhythm, sends mild electrical shocks to try to restore normal heart rhythm. If it doesn’t work, shock therapy will be used to get your heart to return to a normal rhythm.

An AICD, on the other hand, will not improve your heart function or make you feel better daily. If an AICD is being transplanted into a person’s body, it will be done as a day operation. The person must report to the hospital on the day of their procedure.

A small incision or cut will be made under your collarbone after numbing the skin in the area, and a wire will be sent down the vein using x-ray guidance into the heart’s right ventricle.

In some situations, the AICD may be implanted or anchored under the skin near the stomach. After that, the AICD will be put to the test. It will take two to four hours to complete the process.

The implantation of an AICD is safe, but as with any surgical surgery, there is a risk of problems. The doctor will discuss these risks with the patient during the procedure.

What is Pacemaker?

The electrical activity within the heart determines heart rate; if this electrical activity is delayed, a slow heart rhythm may result.

Slow heart rates make people feel weary, disoriented, lightheaded or even pass out. A pacemaker is a tiny medical device that is implanted beneath the skin beneath the collarbone to treat symptoms associated with a slow heartbeat.

A pulse generator and a wire or lead are the two components of a pacemaker. The lead is inserted into a vein and contacted by the heart muscle.

The pulse generator regularly monitors the heart rate. When a person’s heart rate falls below a specific threshold, an impulse is sent down the lead to the heart, causing it to beat.

A pacemaker requires just little surgery, which takes approximately an hour. During the procedure, patients are awake and given a light sedative.

A small incision is made under the collarbone and the region is frozen. An x-ray then guides the lead through the vein to the right side of the heart. The lead is then attached to the pulse generator, and eyesight is closed. Patients are frequently discharged the next day.

The most common hazards of pacemaker surgery include bruising, bleeding, and soreness surrounding the incision. Infection or a pacemaker lead migrating, needing another treatment to reposition it, are two more hazards.

Difference Between AICD and Pacemaker

1. AICD aids in preventing or treating a possibly deadly arrhythmia that might result in abrupt cardiac arrest while pacemakers aid in the regular pulse and rhythm of the heart.
2. AICD is inserted right below the collarbone on the left side, on the other hand, the pacemaker is placed right underneath the collarbone in the chest.
3. In 1970, Michel Mirowski virtually single-handedly created and constructed the ICD while Engineer Wilson Greatbatch and Dr Andrew Gage worked together in 1958 to implant the first pacemaker.
4. In the occurrence of tachycardia, an AICD watches the heart rate then delivers a powerful electrical shock to bring your heart rate back on track, on the other hand, the pacemaker is a battery-operated, tiny device that keeps the heart beating at a normal pace.
5. AICD is an abbreviation for Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator while pacesetter, asystole, implant, mechanical-heart, pacer, cardiac pacemaker, artificial pacemaker and sinoatrial node are some words used for a pacemaker.

Comparison Between AICD and Pacemaker