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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
Published on: February 28, 2012
Implantation of a biventricular pacing and defibrillator device via a persistent left superior vena cava
Athanasios Kapetanopoulos1, Gene Peckham, Francis Kiernan
1Interventional Cardiology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA.
Abstract:
A persistent left superior vena cava was discovered in a 66-year-old man with heart failure undergoing implantation of a biventricular pacing and defibrillator device. An active fixation right ventricular defibrillator lead was placed through a curved guiding catheter. A sub-selection catheter and a guidewire allowed the engagement of a posterior-lateral branch of the coronary sinus, performance of an angiogram without an occlusive balloon, and optimal lead placement. The right atrial lead was positioned using a standard stylet. Despite the technical challenges, implantation of a biventricular pacing and defibrillator device via a persistent left superior vena cava is safe and feasible.
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