A permanent pacemaker is often required to prevent the heart from beating too slow.

After a near-death episode in which his heart stops, a permanent pacemaker is installed.

A permanent pacemaker may be placed in situations where the bradycardia is not expected to recover.

More than two million Americans have permanent implanted pacemakers.

The battery in a permanent pacemaker usually lasts 5 to 15 years.

The surgery needed to implant a permanent pacemaker is considered a minor surgical procedure.

A permanent pacemaker is surgically placed into the chest through a small incision.

An estimated one in 500 Americans has a permanent pacemaker, and doctors implant 120,000 new ones each year.

Treatment: It almost always requires treatment with a permanent pacemaker.

Likely to recover from a slow heart rate and will not need a permanent pacemaker (such as right after a heart attack).