What does it mean to interrogate a pacemaker anyway?

If you've recently had a device implanted or you're helping a family member navigate heart health, you might have heard a technician or a cardiologist ask, "What does it mean to interrogate a pacemaker?" while they're holding a weird-looking plastic wand. It's a pretty intense word for a medical procedure. It makes it sound like the doctor is going to put your heart device in a dimly lit room under a single swinging lightbulb and demand to know its whereabouts on the night of the 14th. ...

February 22, 2026 · 6 min · Shira Wetherell