Skip to main content
Logo image for VA Long Beach Healthcare System
Health & Wellness Resource
Español
Recommended Playlists

Understanding Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD)

Share

ICD: Understanding Heart Rhythms

Thumbnail image for "ICD: Understanding Heart Rhythms"

The body generates electrical impulses that cause the heart to beat. In some people, those electrical impulses don't happen in a normal pattern, which can cause the heart to beat too slowly, too fast or irregularly. A very fast heartbeat can lead to ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life-threatening condition. In patients who are at risk for ventricular tachycardia, doctors often recommend an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or ICD.

Video in English and Español

Understanding Your ICD

Thumbnail image for "Understanding Your ICD"

Disorders in the heart's electrical system can lead to arrhythmias, or an abnormal heart rhythm. Some arrhythmias can be life threatening and require an electrical shock to return the heart to a normal rhythm. Patients who are at risk for sudden cardiac death may require an implantable cardiac defibrillator or ICD, which can deliver a life-saving shock if the heart starts to beat too fast or in a chaotic pattern.

Video in English and Español

What Is an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?

Thumbnail image for "What Is an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?"

An ICD is a battery-powered device placed under the skin, just below the collarbone, or in your abdomen (stomach area) beneath your ribs. It reads the electrical signals in your heart to keep track of your heart rate. If the ICD detects an abnormal heart beat, it can deliver an electric pulse or shock to your heart. This helps restore a normal heartbeat. © AHA

Text in English

Related Learning

  • Echocardiogram (Echo)
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Cardiac Stress Test
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Angioplasty
  • Coronary Stenting: What to Expect
  • How Does a Pacemaker Work?
  • Pacemaker Implant Procedure
  • Preparing for ICD Implant Procedure

VA Long Beach Healthcare System
5901 E. 7th St.
Long Beach, CA 90822
562-826-8000

F A Qs
Privacy
Disclaimer
Provider Resources Link to Provider Resources opens in new window

© 2025 Powered by The Wellness Network

Version Information

  • Commit SHA: c68275cf893bc1c9819264d44c16d52804ee76a5
  • Commit Branch: release/2.44.0