Left bundle branch pacing for symptomatic bradycardia: Implant success rate, safety, and pacing characteristics

In patients with or without left bundle branch block, left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) can produce near normalization of QRS duration (QRSd). This has recently emerged as an alternative technique to His bundle pacing.

The purpose of this study was to characterize a novel approach for LBBP in patients with bradycardia indications for pacing and to assess implant success rate and midterm safety.

Patients with bradycardia indications for pacing underwent LBBP by a trans-ventricular-septal method in the basal ventricular septum. Procedural success, pacing parameters, and complications were assessed at implantation and at 3 months follow-up.

This prospective study evaluated 87 patients (sinus node dysfunction 67.8%; atrioventricular conduction disease 32.2%) undergoing pacemaker implantation. LBBP implantation succeeded in 80.5% (70/87) of patients and the remaining 17 patients received right ventricular septal pacing. The procedure time of LBBP implantation was 18.0 ± 8.8 minutes with a fluoroscopic exposure time of 3.9 ± 2.7 minutes. LBBP produced narrower electrocardiographic QRSd than did right ventricular septal pacing (113.2 ± 9.9 ms vs 144.4 ± 12.8 ms; P < .001). There were no major implantation-related complications. The pacing threshold was low (0.76 ± 0.22 V at implantation and 0.71 ± 0.23 V at 3 months), with no loss of capture or lead dislodgment observed.

This study demonstrates that in patients with standard bradycardia pacing indications, LBBP results in QRSd < 120 ms in most patients and can be performed successfully and safely in the majority of patients.