The Artificial Pacemaker: A Life-Giver

Since the advent of electricity, it was postulated that control of the heartbeat could potentially save countless lives. But artificially pacing the heart remained a dream for most of human history. In this chapter, the author discusses the contributions of inventors in the field of cardiac pacing from the mid-twentieth century to today. The next frontier for cardiac pacing called leadless pacemakers and the advent of biventricular pacing for ventricular resynchronization in heart failure are also addresses.