Pacemakers are advanced treatments for heart rhythm problems. The most common reason for needing a pacemaker is that the heart is going too slow due to problems with the heart’s electrical wiring. Pacemakers have become increasingly sophisticated over the last few decades, such that specialised pacemakers can detect and treat potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities by delivering shocks to restart the heart (“defibrillation”.) More recently, “biventricular” pacemakers are used to improve heart muscle function in some patients with poor heart muscle function.

The clinical skills for managing pacemakers are closely aligned to those of electrophysiology. The Heart Trust’s investment in electrophysiology equipment over very many years has meant that Waikato Hospital has been able to recruit top-flight electrophysiologists with consequent spin-offs for pacing.