Transvenous atrial pacing following amputation of the atrial appendage at open heart surgery

The right atrial appendage is frequently amputated at the time of open heart surgery. In this study we report implantation and chronic follow-up pacing data on 17 patients in whom either actively fixated screw-in leads or passively fixated tined "J" leads were implanted into the trabeculae at the base of the atrial appendage. Chronic follow-up demonstrated excellent chronic pacing thresholds and atrial sensitivity thresholds in those patients in whom these measurements could be made. It is therefore concluded that satisfactory atrial pacing can be achieved in patients who have previously undergone amputation of the atrial appendage during open heart surgery.