John Schor, M.D., thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon at Verde Valley Medical Center, now is performing cardioverter defibrillator implantation. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are intended to treat patients at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

SCA kills half of all people who die of heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. The heart has its own internal electrical system that controls the speed and rhythm of the heartbeat. SCA most commonly occurs when the heart’s electrical activity becomes disrupted and the heartbeat gets dangerously fast (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation). Because of this irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) the heart stops beating effectively and can’t adequately pump blood.

When heart rhythm can be treated with an electric shock, the jolt can reset the heart back into a normal rhythm, possibly saving an individual’s life. Airports, shopping malls, and many other public areas now are commonly equipped with external defibrillators for this purpose. An ICD works similarly, but is a small device surgically implanted under the skin near the shoulder through a small incision. It uses electrical pulses or shocks to help control life-threatening, irregular heartbeats, especially those that could lead the heart to suddenly stop beating.

Not all people with heart problems are candidates for ICDs. The devices are intended to treat patients at high risk for SCA, and also can serve as a pacemaker if needed. Individuals considered high risk include those who have life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms, those who have had a heart attack that has damaged the heart’s electrical system, and those who have survived SCA.

Arrhythmias can be diagnosed by the heart team of board certified cardiologists at VVMC using several methods, including family and medical history, physical exam, and diagnostic tests and procedures. Visit VVMC’s online physician directory at VerdeValleyMedicalCenter.com.