Living at the boundary between life and death: A qualitative study of how patients' lives are impacted by the implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Aims: To examine the effect on patients' lives of implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation and their experiences of worry about death.

Design: A descriptive phenomenological design.

Methods: Participants with implantable cardioverter defibrillators were recruited through purposive sampling with maximum variation in Antalya, Turkey.