Permanent pacing in heart transplant recipients: underlying causes and long-term results.

Although the majority of heart transplant recipients have a satisfactory heart rate, a substantial number require a permanent pacemaker. In 7 of 46 heart transplant patients at our institution symptomatic bradycardia developed, necessitating implantation of a transvenous pacemaker. The average time from heart transplantation to pacer insertion was 25 days.