She fainted in the kitchen, came round on the floor, and felt perfectly well an hour later. The heart tracing told the story: every so often, her heart was pausing for several seconds. A small device the size of a matchbox, placed under the skin in about an hour, can stop that from happening again. Here is what pacemakers and ICDs do, who needs which, and what to expect in India.
Pacemaker, ICD or CRT: three different jobs
- Pacemaker. Treats a heart that beats too slowly or pauses — for example heart block or “sick sinus syndrome”. It watches every beat and sends a tiny pulse when the heart’s own signal fails. Symptoms it fixes include fainting, dizziness, breathlessness and tiredness.
- ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator). Protects people at risk of a dangerous fast rhythm, such as after a large heart attack with a weak heart muscle, or with some inherited heart conditions. If a life-threatening rhythm starts, it can pace it away or deliver a shock.
- CRT (cardiac resynchronisation therapy). A special pacemaker, with or without a defibrillator, for some people with heart failure whose heart chambers beat out of step.
There are also leadless pacemakers, small capsules placed inside the heart through a vein in the leg, which suit some patients. Your electrophysiologist — a cardiologist who specialises in heart rhythm — will explain what fits.
Check the simple causes first
Not every slow pulse needs a device. Some medicines, including beta-blockers and certain heart and blood-pressure tablets, can slow the heart; so can an underactive thyroid or a high potassium level. A careful doctor rules these out, often with a 24-hour or longer heart monitor, before recommending a pacemaker. ICD decisions also rest on careful tests, usually an echo to measure heart pumping and a review of rhythm recordings.
That is why we start with a specialist review of your ECGs, monitor recordings and echo. Our US$99 consultation includes two calls, so you can go back to the same cardiologist or ask a second one.
What it costs
| ICD implantation | 3,579 |
|---|---|
| Pacemaker surgery · average | 3,158 |
| Pacemaker device alone | 1,579 |
Yashoda Hospitals: pacemaker surgery average ₹2.75–3 lakh and device ₹45,000–1.5 lakh (May 2026); ICD implantation ₹1.8–3.4 lakh. Converted at ₹95 per US$. UK comparison: Cleveland Clinic London dual-chamber pacemaker from £14,140 (2026). Indian figures are hospital-published estimates, not quotes; your own estimate comes after a doctor reviews your reports.
The device decides most of the bill. Single-chamber pacemakers cost less than dual-chamber ones; CRT and ICD systems cost more; leadless and MRI-compatible devices carry a premium. Ask for the brand and model in writing, whether it is MRI-conditional, and whether that brand can be checked in your home country. Package prices are per person and exclude flights.
Your week in India
- Send ECGs and monitor resultsPlus echo, medicines and any fainting history
- Specialist reviewDevice, no device, or more tests — explained on a call
- Arrival and checksBlood tests, repeat ECG, sometimes an echo
- ImplantAbout an hour under local anaesthetic and light sedation
- Overnight stayChest X-ray and a device check before discharge
- Wound checkA few days later; arm movement limits explained
- Device card and settingsBrand, model and settings printed for your doctor at home
- Fly homeWhen your cardiologist clears you
Most international patients fly into Delhi; Chandigarh is about an hour away by air. A week is usually enough, which makes this one of the shorter medical trips we arrange.
Living with a device
For the first few weeks you will be asked not to lift the arm on the device side above shoulder height, so the leads can settle. After that, most people return to normal life — walking, work, travel, gardening. Driving rules after a pacemaker or ICD differ from country to country, and for ICDs they can be strict, so check the rules where you live.
- Carry your device card. Show it at airport security; walk through the arch normally and do not linger in it.
- Keep mobile phones and headphones about 15 cm away from the device, for example on the other side of your body.
- Tell every doctor before an MRI or surgery.
- Book regular device checks; many devices can also be checked remotely.
- Pacemaker batteries last years; replacing one is a smaller operation than the first.
Our team stays in touch after you fly home, and your Indian cardiologist remains reachable. Read about follow-up from abroad.
पूछने लायक सवाल
- Have reversible causes, such as medicines or thyroid problems, been ruled out?
- Single, dual, CRT, ICD or leadless — and why for me?
- Which brand, is it MRI-conditional, and can it be checked at home?
- When can I drive, lift and fly?
Read our cardiac surgery guide, learn about TAVI valve replacement, or book a consultation.
Independent research. Figures are quoted from the official and published sources listed below, as they stood when we checked them (October 2026). BookMedTrip is an independent facilitator and is not affiliated with any government body, hospital, charity or organisation named here, and receives no commission from them. If anything here is out of date or inaccurate, please write to care@bookmedtrip.com and we will correct it.
सवाल
How much does a pacemaker cost in India?
Yashoda Hospitals publishes an average of ₹2.75–3 lakh (about US$2,900–3,200) for pacemaker surgery, with the device alone costing ₹45,000–1.5 lakh. Dual-chamber and MRI-compatible devices cost more.
What is the difference between a pacemaker and an ICD?
A pacemaker treats a heart that beats too slowly or pauses. An ICD watches for dangerous fast rhythms and can pace them away or deliver a shock.
Can I fly home after a pacemaker?
Usually within about a week, once your cardiologist has checked the wound and the device. Carry your device card for airport security.
स्रोत
- Yashoda Hospitals — pacemaker surgery cost in India (updated May 2026)
- Yashoda Hospitals — implantable cardioverter defibrillator cost in India
- Cleveland Clinic London — electrophysiology and interventional cardiology self-pay prices (2026)
- USD/INR exchange rate history, 2026 (Pound Sterling Live) — we convert at ₹95 per US$
