Implantation of a dual chamber pacing and sensing single pass defibrillation lead

Dual-chamber ICDs are increasingly used to avoid inappropriate shocks due to supraventricular tachycardias. Additionally, many ICD patients will probably benefit from dual chamber pacing. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the intraoperative performance and short-term follow-up of an innovative single pass right ventricular defibrillation lead capable of bipolar sensing and pacing in the right atrium and ventricle. Implantation of this single pass right ventricular defibrillation lead was successful in all 13 patients (age 63 +/- 8 years; LVEF 0.44 +/- 0.16; New York Heart Association [NYHA] 2.4 +/- 0.4, previous open heart surgery in all patients). The operation time was 79 +/- 29 minutes, the fluoroscopy time 4.7 +/- 3.1 minutes. No perioperative complications occurred. The intraoperative atrial sensing was 1.7 +/- 0.5 mV, the atrial pacing threshold product was 0.20 +/- 0.14 V/ms (range 0.03-0.50 V/ms). The defibrillation threshold was 8.8 +/- 2.7 J. At prehospital discharge and at 1-month and 3-month follow-up, atrial sensing was 1.9 +/- 0.9, 2.1 +/- 0.5, and 2.7 +/- 0.6 mV, respectively, (P = NS, P < 0.05, P < 0.05 to implant, respectively), the mean atrial threshold product 0.79, 1.65, and 1.29 V/ms, respectively. In two patients, an intermittent exit block occurred in different body postures. All spontaneous and induced ventricular arrhythmias were detected and terminated appropriately. Thus, in a highly selected patient group, atrial and ventricular sensing and pacing with a single lead is possible under consideration of an atrial pacing dysfunction in 17% of patients.