For Patients
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
Many people consider Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) to be a public health crisis, because over 300,000 people die annually from SCA – more than from breast cancer, prostate cancer, automobile accidents, or house fires. .)
SCA often does not have any symptoms before it occurs. It is caused by a weakness of the heart muscle leading to very severe rhythm problems. Unexpected deaths amongst young athletes and others who have had no previous symptoms of ill health or heart problems is usually caused by SCA. Your warning that you are at risk is your heart muscle weakness. Treatment for SCA is an implantable Cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
Immediate diagnosis and treatment are critical to surviving an SCA. Every minute you are collapsed after a SCA you loose a 10% chance of survival.
Chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest with an ICD anywhere are 19 out of 20. Your chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital without an ICD is 1 out of 20.
While receiving an ICD requires a surgery, it is NOT open heart surgery and is usually done with local anesthesia in about an hour, requiring a small incision (2-3 inches long) with an overnight hospital stay. Total recovery time is 2-4 weeks.
Some other statistics
Chance of death for ICD malfunction 1 out of 13,000
Chance of death during ICD implant 1 out of 500
Chance of death without an ICD/year 1 out of 14
