Limited thoracotomy as a second choice alternative to transvenous implant for cardiac resynchronisation therapy delivery

Aims Left ventricular (LV) pacing via transvenous implantation has an overall success rate ranging from 88% to 92%. The aim of this study was to assess whether LV pacing via limited thoracotomy would be feasible and safe when used on a routine basis for those cases in which standard transvenous procedures proved to be ineffective or unsatisfactory. Methods and results We enrolled 33 patients (8 females, 65±10 years) who experienced a transvenous implantation failure. All patients underwent a limited thoracotomy and an epicardial lead was implanted. The procedure time was 51±28 min. No surgical or post-operative complications occurred and optimal lateral position was achieved for all patients. In the 12 months follow-up period, 5 patients died from refractory heart failure, the remaining patients did not experience complications. At implant, the mean pacing threshold was 1.3±0.7 V, bi-ventricular pacing impedance was 476±201 Ω and R-wave amplitude was 15.0±6.1 mV. No significant differences were found in any of the electrical parameters between baseline and follow-up. Significant improvement was observed in functional and echocardiographic parameters. Conclusion Our results suggest that a combined approach to cardiac resynchronisation therapy delivery, including a transvenous attempt followed by a back up thoracotomic procedure, could potentially guarantee the success.