[Surgical interventions in patients with pacemakers]

The increasing rate of pacemaker patient operations is due to the rising number of pacemaker carriers. Preoperative recognition of cardiac dysrhythmia is frequent, so that pacemaker implantation prior to operation is essential for the achievement of the operability. The corresponding control of pacemaker function and the appropriate checking of security precautions permit feasible preoperative preparations as well as operations similar to those in non-pacemaker carriers. Our observations are in agreement with others in the literature that a pacemaker does not increase the operation risk. On the contrary, it often makes operability achievable. A continuous and safe patient control through the new ECG-apparatus is possible, even with use of high frequency surgical instruments.