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Treatment for Abnormal Heart Rhythm and Prevention of Cardiac Arrest
(ICD Implantation)
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 Internal defibrillators are used in cases where a patient has shown consistent recurring risk of cardiac arrest or attack due to fibrillation. A heart specialist can determine whether you are in need of an internal defibrillator.
If you have been found to be at recurring risk for rhythm problems such as ventricular tachycardia (when the heart beats at a dangerously fast pace) or ventricular fibrillation (when the heartbeat is both fast and irregular), an AICD may be a viable option. |
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What is an Automated Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD)
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) can control abnormal, life-threatening heart rhythms and prevent cardiac arrest.
An ICD — a pager-size device implanted in your chest like a pacemaker — may reduce your risk of cardiac arrest by continuously monitoring your heartbeat and delivering recisely calibrated electrical shocks to correct ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation and restore a normal heartbeat.
After an ICD is implanted, your doctor programmes it to treat your specific heart-rhythm problem. As the device’s name suggests, it has two primary functions:
Cardioversion
When the ICD detects ventricular tachycardia, it delivers a mild electrical shock that converts the fast heartbeat into a normal heartbeat.
Defibrillation
Sometimes cardioversion fails and ventricular tachycardia either worsens or progresses into ventricular fibrillation. At other times, ventricular fibrillation develops spontaneously. When the ICD detects either of these life-threatening rhythm abnormalities, it delivers a strong electrical shock that defibrillates or resets your heart to start beating normally. |
Who it is for
You are a prime candidate for an ICD if you have had ventricular tachycardia, survived a cardiac arrest or experienced fainting related to ventricular arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). You may also benefit from an ICD if you have:
- A history of coronary artery disease and prior heart attack which has resulted in heart failure and reduced heart function.
- A heart condition that involves abnormal heart muscle (myocardium). Examples include congestive heart failure and certain conditions that cause thickening (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) or enlargement (dilated cardiomyopathy) of the heart muscle.
- An inherited heart defect that adversely affects your heart’s electrical system. These include long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, which can cause ventricular fibrillation and death even in young, active people with no signs or symptoms of heart problems.
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Our treatment centre
Department of Cardiology at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) |
The NHCS Advantage
Local and Regional Pioneer
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| National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) is the first centre to pioneer the use of catheter ablation for arrhythmia in South-East Asia and the first to implant the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in Singapore. |
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Recognised International Major Tertiary Centre
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| As a tertiary referral centre, the NHCS receives patients who require specialised cardiovascular care from other hospitals in Singapore as well as neighbouring countries. . |
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Leader in Arrhythmia Management
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| NHCS is also the nation’s leader in arrhythmia management, which encompasses arrhythmia diagnosis, medical therapy, surgical procedures, and use of medical devices to correct or eliminate abnormal rhythms. |
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High Volume of Procedures
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| Our cardiologists perform high volumes of procedures daily. Their experience, together with the use of sophisticated equipment, enables them to carry out complex multivessel angioplasty procedures. |
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Benefits of Multidisciplinary Care
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| Heart patients are placed in a managed programme and assisted by a multidisciplinary team comprising specialist cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, nurse clinicians, physiotherapists and dieticians. This collaborative team effort is designed to assure optimal outcomes for each patient. |
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Find a Doctor
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Other Cardiology Procedures
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Call our 24-hr hotline:
+65 6326 5656 |
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