Following the insertion procedure, patients will be given a card providing basic information on the implanted pacemaker as well as emergency instructions. This card should be kept with them at all times. In addition, patients should memorize their pacemaker make and model number. Although mechanical problems are rare, this information will prepare patients in the event of a pacemaker recall by a manufacturer. Patients may want to wear a medical alert ID bracelet or necklace that provides information about their heart rhythms and pacemaker, as well as an access number for their medical files.

According to one study, in the 10-year period between 1990 and 2000, 52 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisories were issued, affecting more than 400,000 pacemakers and 114,000 implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). While more pacemakers were affected, investigators found that ICDs had a higher recall rates. In that same time period, the number of people in the United States with implanted heart devices increased 49 percent. Researchers speculated that increased vigilance on the part of the FDA and manufacturers might account for the increase. Changing technologies within this field may also have played a role. An advisory is not the same as a recall. However, advisories may lead to device checks and/or future recalls. The increasing frequency of advisories underscores the need to patients to memorize their pacemaker make and model number and to carry their device information card. That way, patients will be able to determine quickly if an advisory concerns their implanted device.

Patients should know the rate at which their pacemakers are set and then take their resting pulse rate for one full minute each day, contacting their physician if their pulse is five beats or more below the programmed rate. A faster rate is not a concern unless it is more than 100 beats per minute at rest. A program of daily moderate exercise is also recommended. Patients who want to exercise more strenuously will need to speak with their physician about designing a healthy exercise program. All patients should consult their physicians before starting to exercise.

Starting about two to three months after implantation, patients will have regularly scheduled pacemaker checks with their physicians every six to 12 months, depending on the model that was implanted. These visits may include a medical history update, blood pressure check, x-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG) and/or a stress test. Both the programming and the battery strength of the device will be checked by a radio transmitter that is used to communicate with the device.