Single Vs. Dual Pacemaker

Benefits

• Weakness can be a symptom of low heart rate.Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jane Rahman
  
  Pacemakers are mainly used to correct heart rhythms which are too slow or too irregular. These arrhythmias can cause such symptoms as fainting, dizziness, weakness and shortness of breath.
  
  

Features

• All permanent pacemakers consist of a pulse generator, the small titanium case containing the electronics, the battery and one or more leads. Single-chamber devices have one lead, while dual-chamber devices have two, one for each chamber of the heart.
  
  

Function

• Single-chamber pacemakers can stimulate either the upper chamber, the atrium, or the lower chamber, the ventricle. Dual pacemakers stimulate both. Except for certain specialized devices, all pacemakers stimulate the chambers of the right side of the heart.
  
  

Types

• External pacemakers, normally used for temporary pacing after heart surgery, may be either single- or dual-chamber. They use similar leads to connect to the heart, except the temporary leads are connected externally. External pacers are usually for in-hospital use.
  
  

Considerations

• Single-chamber permanent pacemakers are simpler and cheaper to produce, but according to studies of European case histories published in Europace in 2006 and in the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine in 2008, the additional costs of dual pacemakers are outweighed by the health benefits, mainly a reduction in long-term complications.