Most Common Question on AICD Answered

 In this blog post, Dr. Vanita, a leading AICD implantation doctor in India answers your most common queries on AICD implantation.

What is AICD? The automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) is a device that is implanted in the heart’s right ventricle. Its job is to regulate abnormal fast heart rhythms, when they become life-threatening to the patients, explains the best ACID implantation doctor in Delhi.

This is how it works:

• In the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, it tries to resume normal heart rhythm using high-speed pacing — also known as Anti Tachycardia Pacing (ATP)

• If that doesn’t work, AICD will send an electrical shock to reset the heart’s rhythm — also known as defibrillation

To prevent further episodes of Tachycardia, you may need catheter ablation (non-surgical method of creating extra electrical pathways), in conjunction with artery repair or heart valve surgeries. Some forms of Tachycardia can also be treated with pacemakers.

How to Reach Dr. Vanita

Most patients rarely feel ATP, but almost always know when defibrillation takes place, they feel it as a thump in the chest. According to the top AICD implantation doctor in Delhi, the device is also capable of recording your heart’s electrical activity.

What to Expect During AICD Implantation?

The procedure is done under light sedation to help you feel relaxed. The AICD implantation procedure takes nearly half an hour to complete. You’ll feel drowsy but you will be awake.

During this proceedure, an incision (5–8 cm long) will be made by the cardiologist. There will be no pain, thanks to the local anesthetic. The ACID is then inserted in a pocket made in the skin under the clavicle bone and the leads are then connected through a vein to the heart. The skin is sewn back together.

As explained by the best AICD implantation doctor, you will be observed for signs of bleeding and swelling for a day.

AICD Placement vs Pacemaker: What’s the Difference?

Though the procedure is similar, there are many key differences between pacemakers and AICD implants. The most important one is that the latter is used to treat patients with an elevated risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

AICD implantation is also appropriate for patients with critical conditions such as an enlarged heart or extremely fast life-threatening heartbeats, suggests the top AICD implantation doctor. Apart from that, abnormal heart rhythms in the lower chambers of the heart require AICD implantation to fix. If the heartbeats gets too slow, AICD also has a pacemaker to regulate them.

A pacemaker implantation surgery may also be required if you’ve undergone heart ablation (where certain heart tissues are destroyed using electrical impulses).

Where Can You Get AICD Implantation?

A successful cardiologist in India and abroad, Dr. Vanita is a Senior Consultant Cardiac Electrophysiologist & Interventional Cardiologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. She has been treating people with heart diseases for nearly three decades.

AICD implantation also happens to be one of Dr. Vanita’s several areas of expertise. Also, an electrophysiologist, Dr. Vanita treats patients living with various forms of arrhythmias and heart failure. If you wish to book an appointment, you can do so by filling this form.

Otherwise, you may email her at doctorvanitaarora@gmail.com or call her on +91 98738 79994.