Pacemaker ICD After Surgery Gift is for people with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. You're now battery operated with wires connecting the medical device to improve the electrical conduction system of the heart. If your arrhythmia is serious, you may need a cardiac pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). They are devices that are implanted in your chest or abdomen. A pacemaker helps control abnormal heart rhythms.