This book helps the reader understand the technical capabilities of pacemakers and ICDs, and shows how to apply this knowledge to make everyday clinical encounters easier and more productive. From the first pacemaker implantation in 1958 and the first implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation in 1980, the fields of cardiac pacing and defibrillation have enjoyed a rapid increase in the sophistication and effectiveness of implantable devices. Because these technologies are encountered more and more commonly in today's clinical settings, it is important for physicians to learn "practical approaches" to pacemaker and ICD implantation.

Whether new to cardiac pacing and defibrillation or seeing large numbers of patients with implantable devices on a daily basis, cardiologists and electrophysiologists alike will appreciate the knowledge and experience shared by the authors of this book.