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A leadless pacemaker matched with a vasovagal syncope: how long can it last?
Mohamed ElRefai1,2, Christina Menexi1, Mohamed Abouelasaad1
1Cardiac Rhythm Management Research Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
Insights
Leadless pacemakers (LPs) show promising battery longevity in vasovagal syncope (VVS) patients, lasting over 15 years. This offers a viable alternative to traditional pacing for VVS, though longer-term data is still needed.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Cardiac pacing is recommended for frequent vasovagal syncope (VVS) episodes.
- Leadless pacemakers (LPs) are a safe and effective alternative to transvenous pacing for VVS.
- Concerns exist regarding LP battery longevity in younger patients requiring long-term therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the battery longevity of LPs in patients with VVS.
- To compare LP battery performance in VVS patients versus those with other pacing indications.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 100 LPs implanted at a UK tertiary cardiac center.
- Collected demographical and device data at implant and follow-up.
- Compared LP battery life in VVS patients to patients with other pacing indications.
Main Results:
- 14% of patients had VVS; 84% had other indications.
- Mean age for VVS patients was 34 ± 13 years; for others, 62 ± 20 years.
- Estimated battery life was 15.22 ± 0.35 years for VVS and 13.65 ± 2.97 years for other indications (p=0.04). No complications in the VVS group.
Conclusions:
- LPs offer promising short/intermediate-term battery performance for VVS patients.
- LPs are a viable pacing option for vasovagal syncope.
- Longer-term follow-up is necessary to confirm true battery potential in this cohort.
Background:
Guidelines recommend that cardiac pacing should be considered in patients suffering from frequent vasovagal syncopal (VVS) episodes. Studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of leadless pacemakers (LP) in cardioinhibitory vasovagal populations specifically, rendering them a reasonable alternative to transvenous pacing in these patients. However, due to the paucity of data on extraction and the number of concomitant LPs that can be safely implanted, there are concerns regarding LPs' battery longevity, especially in younger patients who may require decades of pacing therapy.
Methods:
This is a retrospective analysis of the first 100 LPs implanted at a tertiary cardiac centre in the UK. Demographical data and device parameters at implant and follow-ups were obtained from the hospital's medical records. The battery life of the LPs in the VVS patients was compared to that of patients with other pacing indications.
Results:
Ninety patients were included in the analysis. 14 patients (15.6%) had VVS, and 76 patients (84.4%) had other indications for pacing. Mean ages were 34 ± 13 years and 62 ± 20 years for the VVS and the other group, respectively. The estimated total battery life was 15.22 ± 0.35 and 13.65 ± 2.97 years in the VVS and the other indications group respectively (p = .04). There were no complications in the VVS group.
Conclusion:
LPs provide a promising treatment for patients with vasovagal syncope with reassuring battery performance at the short/intermediate term. Further longer-term follow-up data are needed to identify the true battery potential in this patient cohort.
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