VDDR pacing after His-bundle ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a pilot study.

His-bundle ablation followed by pacemaker implantation is today a widely accepted therapeutic choice when drug refractoriness of symptomatic AF is evident. The selection of pacing mode in patients suffering from paroxysmal AF is still controversial. Preservation of AV synchrony is an attractive option in patients with paroxysmal AF who undergo His-bundle ablation.

Exercise capacity after His bundle ablation and rate response ventricular pacing for drug refractory chronic atrial fibrillation.

Objective: To evaluate exercise capacity of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation in whom His bundle ablation followed by ventricular rate response pacing (VVIR) was carried out because of drug refractoriness.

Design: Prospective study.

Patients: 25 consecutive patients, all with chronic symptomatic drug refractory atrial fibrillation, underwent His bundle ablation.

Unsatisfying results in long-term atrial pacing with a bipolar active fixation atrial lead.

A high dislodgment rate during long-term atrial pacing using the unipolar sickle-shaped active fixation lead was recently reported; therefore, the long-term results of atrial pacing in 118 consecutive patients with the bipolar sickle-shaped active fixation lead (Biotronik FH60-BP) were evaluated. Between January 1989 and September 1993, 87 leads (74%) were inserted for dual chamber pacing and 31 leads (26%) for atrial pacing only. At the time of implantation, the bipolar atrial electrogram had a mean voltage of 4.

Is chronic atrial stimulation a reliable method for single chamber pacing in sick sinus syndrome?

To evaluate the feasibility of chronic atrial pacing (AAI) in sick sinus syndrome (SSS), 22 patients (pts) with bradytachycardia syndrome (BTS) and 17 patients with only bradyarrhythmias (BA) were studied on the incidence of supraventricular tachycardias (SVT) and occurring AV block. A scoring system based on symptoms of SVT was developed (grade 0-5). All patients had proven normal AV conduction before PM implantation.