Winter Weather Notice

On Monday, January 6, snow and frigid temperatures are forecasted. Your safety remains our top priority. If you have an in-person appointment at our outpatient offices, please contact your office to discuss switching to a virtual appointment. If a virtual appointment isn’t an option, we may reschedule your appointment.

Stay tuned for the latest updates about delayed openings at inova.org/weather – and stay warm and safe.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a device that monitors and moderates your heart rate. It uses batteries to send electric signals to a heart that’s beating too slow, similar to a pacemaker. The device can detect irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and deliver a jolt of electricity to return your heartbeat to a normal.

Inova Offers Two Options:

Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD)

Inova uses the Boston Scientific S-ICD® System, the world's first and only commercially available subcutaneous implantable defibrillator (S-ICD) to treat patients at risk for sudden cardiac arrest. An Inova patient received the first such device in the Northern Virginia and DC metro area. 

S-ICDs offer the same lifesaving benefits as a traditional defibrillator but with lower complication risks since no electrodes or leads are placed into the heart itself. S-ICDs are only used for patients who do not also require a pacemaker for slow heart rhythms.

Traditional (transvenous) implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

Traditional implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) sit in the chest and send a shock to the heart when they sense an abnormal rhythm. Inova cardiac surgeons place the device below the skin and connect it to the heart with electrodes.

Conditions Treated by the ICD

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) are advised in specific patients who are at risk for potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias, an abnormal rhythm from the lower heart chambers which can cause the heart to pump less effectively. There may be other reasons why your physician advises placement of a pacemaker or ICD.