"Real world" experience in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy at a Swiss Tertiary Care Center.

Background: Based on a reduction in morbidity and mortality, cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) has evolved as a standard therapy for patients with advanced heart failure.

Objective: To provide insight into patient demographics, safety, echocardiographic remodelling and long-term follow-up of patients treated with CRT in a "real-world" setting at a Swiss tertiary care centre.

Methods: Patients implanted with a CRT device at the University Heart Centre Zurich between 2000 and 2015 were consecutively enrolled.

Altered left ventricular contraction pattern during right ventricular pacing: assessment using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Chronic right ventricular apical (RVA) pacing has been associated with increased risk of heart failure and adverse outcome. The acute effects of RVA pacing on three-dimensional (3D) ventricular function and mechanical dyssynchrony are not well known. We performed a real-time 3D echocardiographic (RT3DE) study to assess global and regional left ventricular function during RVA pacing.