Due to the advances in treatment and prevention of heart problems, most patients with cardiac conditions are not at a substantially increased risk of dying suddenly from an arrhythmia. However, some people do have an increased risk. For example, people who have survived large heart attacks in the past, people who have previously had a dangerous arrhythmia, or some people who have an inherited cardiac condition. Sometimes heart specialists may recommend an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (sICD).
What is an ICD?
An ICD consists of a generator that is implanted under the skin at the front of the upper chest. One, or more, leads are connected and these are positioned in the heart. The ICD monitors the heart rhythm. If dangerous rhythms are detected then the ICD is able to deliver a shock to the heart. This resets the heart rhythm and can save the person's life. Some patients need leads that go to their heart in order that the ICD can 'pace' the heart (like a pacemaker). However, this is not always necessary and then a subcutaneous sICD may be appropriate. This uses leads which pass under the skin around the outside of the chest wall and do not need to enter the heart.
How are ICDs implanted?
For any particular patient, the treating cardiologist will discuss the best type of device and lead configuration. Implantation of ICDs is done either with local anaesthetic and sedation or with general anaesthetic. The operation usually takes between one to three hours and the patient can go home within 24 hours.
Life after ICD surgery
After ICD surgery certain lifestyle changes may be required. However, many patients are able to lead full and active lifestyles with devices in place. The device is monitored periodically and generator changes are required at intervals in order to replenish the battery. Further information is available on the British Heart Foundation website.
Dr Nick Linton is one of London's leading cardiologists. He specialises in atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia and hypertension (high blood pressure), alongside cardiomyopathy, heart attacks and heart murmurs. He privately practises at London Heart Practice, part of HCA Healthcare UK. His NHS base is Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
He is dedicated to research and has a background in engineering as well as cardiology which has led to ground breaking developments in his fi...
Dr Nick Linton is one of London's leading cardiologists. He specialises in atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia and hypertension (high blood pressure), alongside cardiomyopathy, heart attacks and heart murmurs. He privately practises at London Heart Practice, part of HCA Healthcare UK. His NHS base is Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
He is dedicated to research and has a background in engineering as well as cardiology which has led to ground breaking developments in his field. He is highly qualified. Before his career in medicine, Dr Linton obtained an MA in engineering, economics and management from Oxford University, graduating with first class honours. He then studied medicine at King's College London, qualifying with a distinction in 2002.
He also was awarded membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP) and trained in cardiology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (St Mary’s and Hammersmith Hospitals) and St Thomas’ Hospital. He completed a PhD at King's College London, investigating the mapping and ablation of organised atrial arrhythmias. Furthermore, he underwent training in France with Professors Haïssaguerre, Jaïs and Hocini at their leading electrophysiology unit in Bordeaux for a year.
Dr Linton has authored a significant amount of research articles and has pioneered a new method of arrhythmia mapping that is now incorporated into the leading commercial system and routinely used at Imperial. He is also the co-inventor of Ripple Mapping, a technique that is now used internationally for treating arrhythmia patients.
Dr Linton is committed to teaching and research, working as a senior clinical lecturer in Bioengineering at Imperial College London, and carrying out research on atrial and ventricular arrhythmias funded by the British Heart Foundation.
By using the telephone number provided by TOP DOCTORS, you automatically agree to let us use your phone number for statistical and commercial purposes. For further information, read our Privacy Policy
Top Doctors
This website uses our own and third-party Cookies to compile information with the aim of improving our services, to show you advertising related to your preferences as well analysing your browsing habits. You can change your settings HERE.
You can enable or disable according to the purposes:
Accept all the Cookies
Techniques: Those that allow the user to navigate through a web page, platform or application and the use of the different options or services that exist within.
Analytics: Those that allow the person responsible for them to monitor and analyse the behaviour of the users of the websites to which they are linked.
Behavioural advertising: Those that store information on the behaviour of users obtained through the continuous observation of their browsing habits, which allows the development of a specific profile to display advertising based on it.
