Definition of Cardioverter

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Cardioverter: Although cardioversion (the conversion of one cardiac rhythm to another) may sometimes be done with medications, a cardioverter is now synonymous with a defibrillator.

Implantable defibrillators continuously monitor the heart rhythm in order to detect and correct rapid arrhythmias such as

• Ventricular tachycardia (rapid regular beating of the ventricles, the bottom chambers of the heart); and
• Ventricular fibrillation (rapid irregular beating of the ventricles).

These ventricular arrhythmias impair the pumping efficiency of the heart and greatly raise the risks of fainting (syncope) and sudden cardiac arrest. They tend to develop in people with coronary artery disease and heart muscle diseases (cardiomyopathies).

A defibrillator can be implanted within the body by far less invasive techniques than in the past because the devices, aside from being more technologically advanced, are smaller. (An implantable defibrillator is about the size of a minicassette).

The defibrillator corrects the heart rhythm by delivering precisely calibrated and timed electrical shocks, when needed, to restore a normal heartbeat.