The implantation of a permanent transvenous endocardial pacemaker in 42 dogs: a retrospective study

The primary indication for pacemaker therapy in dogs and cats is symptomatic bradyarrhythmia that does not respond to medical treatment. Different techniques have been used for pacemaker implantation since 1968. Transvenous endocardial pacemaker implantation is a minimally invasive method and represents the first choice of treatment for this type of arrhythmia.

The authors reviewed retrospectively the indications, efficacy, complications, and long-term outcome in 42 cases of transvenous endocardial pacemaker implantation in dogs.

Complications which required a second intervention occurred in 10 dogs (23.8%), while complications that did not require another procedure occurred in 5 dogs (11.9%). Two of the 42 patients died due to the pacemaker implantation (mortality: 4.76%). The mean survival age of those patients with a pacemaker that survived the procedure was 11.4 years.

The life expectancy of our patients carrying a pacemaker was higher than the general life expectancy published in a study on a large population of dogs. The low mortality rate and long life expectancy of dogs treated makes transvenous pacemaker implantation an efficacious and safe alternative for treatment of those bradyarrhythmias that do not respond to medical therapy.