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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

A Pacing-Controlled Procedure for the Assessment of Heart Rate-Dependent Diastolic Functions in Murine Heart Failure Models
Published on: July 21, 2023
Pacing in adults with congenital heart disease
Anjan S Batra1, Seshadri Balaji
1Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of California, Irvine, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA 92868, USA. abatra@uci.edu
Insights
Pacemakers help adults with congenital heart disease by reducing illness and death. Innovative lead placement techniques improve pacemaker implantation feasibility in these complex patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) are a growing patient group.
- Pacemakers are crucial for managing ACHD, improving outcomes.
- Pacemakers are used beyond conduction abnormalities, including for tachycardia and heart failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role and challenges of pacemaker implantation in ACHD.
- To highlight advancements in lead placement for ACHD patients.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature and pacemaker technologies.
- Discussion of anatomical and surgical complexities in ACHD.
- Analysis of innovative endocardial and epicardial lead strategies.
Main Results:
- Pacemaker therapy significantly reduces morbidity and mortality in ACHD.
- Complex anatomy and prior surgeries present implantation challenges.
- Novel lead approaches enhance pacemaker feasibility in ACHD.
Conclusions:
- Pacemaker implantation is increasingly feasible in ACHD patients.
- Advanced lead technologies are vital for successful pacing in this population.
- Continued innovation is needed to optimize pacing strategies for ACHD.
Abstract:
Adults with congenital heart disease constitute one of the fastest growing populations in cardiology. Pacing is an integral part of their therapy and may reduce their morbidity and mortality significantly. The current generation of pacemakers is more sophisticated and complex, and they are being utilized for indications other than conduction abnormalities, such as termination of tachycardia and improvement of heart failure. The complex anatomy and history of multiple previous surgeries in adults with congenital heart disease, however, pose many limitations and technical challenges related to the placement of a pacemaker. Unique and innovative approaches to endocardial lead placement and improved epicardial leads is making pacemaker implantation more feasible in these patients.
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