Exclusively cephalic venous access for cardiac resynchronisation: A prospective multi-centre evaluation.

Background: Small series has shown that cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) can be achieved in a majority of patients using exclusively cephalic venous access. We sought to determine whether this method is suitable for widespread use.

Methods: A group of 19 operators including 11 trainees in three pacing centres attempted to use cephalic access alone for all CRT device implants over a period of 8 years.