[Implantation of definitive pacemakers: experience with 500 patients]

Five hundred patients to whom definitive cardiac pacemakers were implanted from June, 1978 to June, 1992 were studied. A predominance of males and the age group of 61-80 years was observed. The most frequent reason for seeking medical care was syncope, and III grade atrioventricular block is the most frequent cause requiring this kind of treatment whose etiology was associated with the sclerodegenerative disease of the conduction system. The right cephalic vein was the most used via of approach; among the complications recorded only 2 resulted in death of the patient (perforation of the left ventricle and traumatic pneumotorax.)