Pacemaker Clinic

The Pacemaker Clinic is located at the Amarillo Diagnostic Clinic in the cardiology wing. When you have a permanent pacemaker implanted, a record of insertion is sent to your doctor. This enables the staff there to contact you and arrange an appointment at the clinic.

At the time of insertion, a temporary card is given to you. This has information regarding the type of pacemaker you have and should be carried with you. A permanent card is mailed to you by the pacemaker manufacturer in about 3-6 months. Upon discharge from the hospital your cardiologist will make an appointment for you to be seen in the Pacemaker Clinic at ADC.

Three months following your pacemaker insertion, you will have an appointment at the Pacemaker Clinic. The Pacemaker Clinic will arrange for further follow-up appointments, usually every six months. When you visit the Pacemaker Clinic we will check your progress by:

• Recording your pulse and blood pressure.
• Listing your current medications.
• Inquiring about symptoms such as sudden dizzy spells, lightheadedness, and fatigue.
• Checking the pacemaker insertion site.

We will check your pacemaker by :

• Taking an electrocardiogram to assess that it pacing appropriately.
• Interrogating or "reading" information from the pacemaker with an electronic device held over the pulse generator; this checks function and battery life.
• Checking that the system lead and cables are intact.
• Programming the amount of energy the battery puts out to efficiently pace the heart: this helps conserve battery life.
• The pacemaker clinic will record the model and serial number and the type of lead and pacemaker into a database for future reference.

The Pacemaker Clinic acts as an excellent resource to provide support and information regarding your permanent pacemaker.