Transvenous lead extraction on uninterrupted anticoagulation: A safe approach?

Introduction: Current guidelines advocate reviewing peri-procedural anticoagulation on individual case basis for transvenous lead extraction (TLE). We investigated the safety of TLE on uninterrupted warfarin with therapeutic INR.

Methods: Retrospective registry of consecutive patients undergoing TLE on uninterrupted warfarin (Warfarin Group) across two centres.

Chronic performance of Riata 1580 and Endotak 0158 ICD leads: A single center 10-year experience.

Background: The long-term performance of the Riata family of leads has recently come under increasing scrutiny. We aimed to determine the long-term performance of the Riata 1580 leads compared with Endotak 0158 leads.

Methods: All patients with Riata 1580 or Endotak 0158 leads implanted from 2003 to 2008 at the Heart Hospital, UCLH were analyzed.

Transseptal puncture performed with the new needle-free 'SafeSept' guidewire: a multicentre experience.

Purpose: Increasing numbers of transseptal punctures (TSP) are performed for different cardiac interventions, especially for left atrial (LA) ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Significant TSP-related complications may occur even by experienced operators. Any strategies to mitigate these should be adopted.

Long-Term Results of Triventricular Versus Biventricular Pacing in Heart Failure: A Propensity-Matched Comparison.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the impact of triventricular pacing (Tri-V) on long-term survival.

Background: Biventricular pacing (Bi-V) is an important adjunctive treatment in advanced heart failure, but almost one-third of patients experience no improvement with this therapy and are labeled as nonresponders. Adding a third ventricular lead (Tri-V) has been shown to be feasible and provides favorable acute results when assessed by using echocardiographic, hemodynamic, and clinical endpoints.

Gaining approval for clinical research.

Set-up and delivery of a clinical research project can be complicated and difficult. This article introduces the regulatory processes involved in gaining approval for clinical research and discusses the obstacles that may be encountered.

Cardiac resynchronisation therapy: a randomised trial of factory or echocardiographic settings for optimum response.

Background: We aimed to assess whether echocardiographically-optimised atrioventricular (AV) and interventricular (VV) delay programming provided any additional benefit over standard settings following biventricular pacemaker implantation in patients with advanced heart failure.

Methods: Paired data were collected on 22 patients (aged 67.5 ± 8.