Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 May;108(10):794-799.
doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2021-320149.

History and evolution of pacing and devices

Paul Haydock  1 , A John Camm  2
Affiliations
Review

History and evolution of pacing and devices

Paul Haydock et al. Heart. 2022 May.

Abstract

Cardiac implanted electronic devices are commonplace in the modern practice of cardiology. This article reviews the history of the development of these technologies, with particular reference to the role played by UK physicians and members of the British Cardiovascular Society. Key breakthroughs in the treatment of heart block, ventricular arrhythmia and heart failure are presented in their historical and contemporary context so that the reader might look back on the incredible progress and achievements of the last 100 years and also look forward to what may be achieved in the coming decades.

Keywords: defibrillators, implantable; electrocardiography; electrophysiology; heart failure; pacemaker, artificial.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: JC is an advisor to Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Abbott Medical and chairs a Data and Safety Monitoring Board for Biotronik. PH has acted as an advisor to Boston Scientific and Abbott Medical.