Accurate preoperative echocardiography has more impact on prediction of long-term mortality than intra-operatively measured flow in coronary bypass grafts.

Objective: Our study aimed to analyze the predictive value of intra-operative bypass graft flow measurements for long-term mortality.

Methods: A total of 1593 consecutive coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients routinely underwent intra-operative bypass graft flow measurements with the transit-time flow meter (TTFM: Cardiomed(®)). The results of the flow measurements and the demographics were analyzed retrospectively.

Closed loop stimulation and accelerometer-based rate adaptation: results of the PROVIDE study.

Aims: We compared pacing rate adaptation based on closed loop stimulation (CLS) or accelerometer sensor (AS) during acute mental and physical stress in the same patient.

Methods And Results: One month after Protos (Biotronik, Germany) pacemaker implantation, 131 chronotropically incompetent patients were randomized to AS or CLS for 3 months with crossover. Arithmetic and 6 min walk tests were performed in the non-rate-adaptive mode and AS and CLS rate-adaptive modes, respectively.

Clinical predictors of health-related quality of life after pacemaker implantation.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is increasingly accepted as an outcome measure when considering the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Little is known about the HRQL of patients with different clinical circumstances before and after pacemaker implantation (PMI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of clinical symptoms and ECG diagnoses as predictors of improved HRQL in patients referred for PMI.

Reducing unnecessary right ventricular pacing with the managed ventricular pacing mode in patients with sinus node disease and AV block.

Background: Frequent and unnecessary right ventricular apical pacing increases the risk of atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure. We evaluated a new pacing algorithm, managed ventricular pacing (MVP) which automatically changes modes between AAI/R and DDD/R in patients receiving pacemakers for symptomatic bradycardia.

Methods: Patients were randomized to the MVP mode or DDD/R mode for 1 month and then crossed over to the alternate pacing modality for an additional month.