Efficacy and Safety of Leadless Pacemaker Implantation in Octogenarians

Long-term complication rates in standard transvenous pacemakers are reported around 4-12% with a higher incidence in the elderly population. We report our experience in octogenarians undergoing leadless pacemaker implantation in two large-volume centers in Switzerland.

Consecutive patients undergoing leadless pacemaker implantation at two Swiss large volume centers (University Hospital Zurich, Zurich and Cardiocentro Ticino Institute, Lugano) between October 2015 and March 2020 were included in this retrospective analysis. Demographic information, clinical data, and procedural characteristics were recorded at the day of implantation and during follow-up.

Two hundred and twenty patients (mean age 80.6 ± 7.7 years, male 66%) were included. The main indication for pacemaker implantation was slow ventricular rate atrial fibrillation (111 of 220 patients, 50.4%). Out of the 220 patients, 124 (56.3%) were ≥80 years. Overall successful implantation rate was 98.6%. In the octogenarian population, the median procedure time (45 ± 20.2 min vs. 40 ± 19.6 min, p = 0.03) and radiation duration (6.1 ± 8.2 min vs. 5.0 ± 7.2 min, p = 0.03) were longer compared to patients <80 years. Major complications (2.7%, n = 6) and device measurements during follow-up were similar between patients ≥80 and <80 years.

Implantation of a leadless pacemaker device in octogenarians is safe and effective with a similarly low complication rate compared to non-octogenarians.