What it treats
A pacemaker is a small device, implanted under the skin near the collarbone, connected to one or more thin leads that run into the heart. Its job is narrow: it watches the heart's own electrical activity, and if the heart beats too slowly or pauses too long, it sends a small signal to prompt a normal beat. It won't speed up a heart that's already beating at a healthy rate, and it doesn't treat every arrhythmia — only the kind caused by the heart running too slow.
What it doesn't do
A pacemaker doesn't prevent a heart attack, doesn't lower cholesterol, and on its own doesn't treat fast, chaotic rhythms like atrial fibrillation — though some patients have both a pacemaker and a separate arrhythmia we're managing at the same time. It's also not a cure for whatever slowed the heart's electrical system down in the first place. It's a correction, not a fix for the underlying cause.
Living with one
Most people are back to normal activity within days to weeks, with some initial limits on heavy lifting and arm movement on the implant side while the site heals. We check the device periodically — in person or remotely — to review what it's recorded and confirm the device and battery are working the way they should. Battery life runs years, and replacement, when it's needed, is a comparatively minor procedure.