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Updated: May 11, 2026
A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
Published on: February 28, 2012
Suitability for subcutaneous defibrillator implantation: results based on data from routine clinical practice
Mihály K de Bie1, Joep Thijssen, Johannes B van Rees
1Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To assess the proportion of current implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) recipients who would be suitable for a subcutaneous lead ICD (S-ICD).
Design:
A retrospective cohort study.
Setting:
Tertiary care facility in the Netherlands.
Patients:
All patients who received a single- or dual-chamber ICD in the Leiden University Medical Center between 2002 and 2011. Patients with a pre-existent indication for cardiac pacing were excluded.
Main Outcome Measure:
Suitability for an S-ICD defined as not reaching one of the following endpoints during follow-up: (1) an atrial and/or right ventricular pacing indication, (2) successful antitachycardia pacing without a subsequent shock or (3) an upgrade to a CRT-D device.
Results:
During a median follow-up of 3.4 years (IQR 1.7-5.7 years), 463 patients (34% of the total population of 1345 patients) reached an endpoint. The cumulative incidence of ICD recipients suitable for an initial S-ICD implantation was 55.5% (95% CI 52.0% to 59.0%) after 5 years. Significant predictors for the unsuitability of an S-ICD were: secondary prevention, severe heart failure and prolonged QRS duration.
Conclusions:
After 5 years of follow-up, approximately 55% of the patients would have been suitable for an S-ICD implantation. Several baseline clinical characteristics were demonstrated to be useful in the selection of patients suitable for an S-ICD implantation.
