[Cardiac resynchronization therapy: mortality, rehospitalization, and procedure-related complications. A three-year single-center observational study within the Italian Health System].

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy with an implantable defibrillator (CRT-D) may differ among classes of indications to device therapy.

Methods: All-cause mortality, first hospitalization for non-fatal heart failure, stable improvement of NYHA functional class (responders), and implant-related complications were evaluated retrospectively in 103 patients selected among those (n = 133) who received consecutively CRT-D between 2006 and 2009. Patients were divided into three groups: group IA (n = 65) included patients receiving CRT-D for a class IA indication; group IIa (n = 26) included patients with atrial fibrillation and QRS ≥ 130 ms receiving CRT-D for a class IA indication; nonconventional group (NC) (n = 12) included patients with an indication to defibrillator implantation extended to CRT-D because of NYHA class III-IV and echocardiographic evidence of electromechanical dyssynchrony.