The fastest growing population segment in the United States, seniors commonly undergo pacemaker implantation. Although doctors’ offices typically provide short pamphlets on pacemaker implantation, there is rarely any comprehensive yet understandable reference material for the patients to obtain…until now. Explaining the “what, why, and how” of pacemaker implantation, this invaluable new guide provides an in-depth summary of pacemakers, from the initial patient evaluation and device implantation to the issues that could potentially arise during a long-term follow up.
Expertly designed to educate patients under evaluation for a pacemaker, the guide also features a comprehensive section on complications that is extremely valuable for a primary care provider’s knowledge base. By thoroughly summarizing the most important issues that patients and their families encounter during the pacemaker implantation process, this wonderful book is an invaluable priceless educational guide designed specifically with the most important audience in mind…the patients.
What is a Pacemaker? A Cardiologist’s Guide for Patients and Care Providers is a complete reference tool for patients who are undergoing, or have undergone, pacemaker implantation. From doctor selection to long-term care issues, this informative guide by Dr. Jeffrey L. Williams covers everything from A to Z. Easy to read, wonderfully exceptionally organized, and extraordinarily helpful, this priceless resource should be read by pacemaker patients everywhere.
The first book of its kind dedicated exclusively to pacemaker patients and their care providers, What is a Pacemaker? provides the same references and knowledge that cardiologists use but at a level more easily digestible for patients, their families, and their primary care providers. Packed from cover to cover with valuable information, this practical guide presents the perfect reference material for anyone whose life has been touched by pacemakers.
“Numerous books have been published about pacemakers since they were introduced in the 1950’s but they’ve all been addressed to the same audience: health care professionals. This book by Williams, which is directed to patients and their families, answers in a clear and concise way all questions surrounding pacemaker implantations: the before, the during, and the after. A must read for anyone who’s been prescribed pacemaker therapy…”
– Samir Saba, MD, FACC, FHRS, Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor in Clinical and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
What is a Pacemaker? A Cardiologist’s Guide for Patients and Care Providers is now available in print on Amazon and electronically on Kindle.
Kirkus Review of What is a Pacemaker?
Williams, a cardiologist, details what a pacemaker is and the process of its implantation.
While Williams is careful to point out that this volume shouldn’t replace professional medical advice, it nevertheless remains a valuable resource for patients or families of patients undergoing pacemaker implantation—a surgery becoming more common in the United States as the elderly population grows. Pacemakers, which are devices that use electrical impulses to regulate the heartbeat, are frequently implanted when a patient’s heart is beating abnormally slowly. They are utilized, however, in a number of other scenarios as well—in children who have certain kinds of congenital heart defects, for example. The text details the basic physical structure of the heart, explains precisely where the pacemaker is implanted—generally, underneath the left clavicle—and breaks down its components, showing the various sizes, none of which are much larger than a quarter. Throughout, there are useful photographs and diagrams to help readers visualize the surgical process. Besides explaining the general clinical reasons for pacemaker implantation, the method of implantation and how the device actually works, Williams takes the reader step by step through the surgery, beginning with the preoperative work-up and ending with postoperative care. He additionally provides some sage advice on which questions to ask a physician, such as how many of these procedures the doctor has performed, since those who perform a higher volume of implantations tend to have a lower rate of complications.
Accessible and cogently written, this slim volume would be right at home in a cardiologist’s office.
Video Series on Pacemakers:
Lecture 1: Electrical Conduction System of the Heart
Lecture 2: Reasons for Pacemaker Implantation
Lecture 3: What are pacemakers and how do they work?
Lecture 4: Preoperative Workup and Evaluation for Pacemaker Implantation
Lecture 5: What to expect on day of pacemaker implantation and procedure.