How long does a pacemaker procedure take and will I need to stay overnight?

So typically you'll see a consultant cardiologist in advance of your procedure to work out whether you need the procedure and in that decision making process that might involve just a conversation with a clinician or it might involve performing and review of tests. So tests might include an echocardiogram which is an ultrasound scan of the heart looking at its function, might involve ECGs and might involve ECG monitors looking for rhythm disturbance abnormalities. Once the two of you have made a decision about whether you're going to proceed forward with the pacemaker and you've had a discussion about what's involved with the pacemaker and the associated risks you'll then discuss and receive a date to come in for your procedure. Typically we ask patients to be nil by mouth at least four hours prior to the procedure. For many if the procedure is happening first thing in the morning that often actually means being kneel by mouth from the night before. We typically might ask you if you're on some blood thinners to hold them the day or two before the procedure but each clinician will discuss with you the particulars around that. Once you're in the hospital you'll have an ECG performed, you'll have a small plastic tube inserted into one of the veins that will give you medicine in and around the time of the procedure and your consultant will come up again and discuss with you exactly what's involved in the procedure, run through all the benefits of the procedure and the risks and then at that point take your informed consent to get you ready to really go down to get your procedure started. So we bring you down to the cardiac catheter laboratory and at that time point you'll meet the entire team that there's lots of us involved in your care looking after you. We check who you are make sure that we're doing the right procedure on the right patient and then we get on with performing the procedure. Procedure could take anywhere from about 45 minutes up to perhaps two hours depending on the complexity of the procedure but a typical procedure time is probably around the hour duration mark. So after the procedure we bring you back up to the ward area where you'll be seen by the ward team and also your consultant will come up and see you as well. We typically perform a chest x-ray to check that the leads are in the right place and that there's been no damage to any neighbouring structures. Assuming that you are well and the chest x-ray is satisfactory and everything looks good with the pacemaker we can think about letting you get home. Typically we won't let you we won't let you leave before four hours after the procedure. But if you're well and you've got people at home that can look after you or someone that can come in to look after you and you're keen to get home we could let you get home that same day just a few hours after the procedure and that is very safe. However should you wish to stay overnight we certainly have the facilities to be able to look after you overnight and should you need to stay overnight we also have that option as well and we can plan for that as needed.