[Medium-term clinical experience with automatic transvenous defibrillators implanted in the chest area without...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias necessitate effective therapeutic options.
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are crucial for managing these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of pectoral biphasic transvenous ICDs without subcutaneous leads.
• To assess perioperative outcomes and mid-term performance of this ICD implantation technique.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 35 patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias received pectoral biphasic transvenous ICDs.
• Data collected included procedure duration, defibrillation thresholds, complications, hospital stay, and device interventions.
• Follow-up averaged 18.5 months.

Main Results:

• The mean implantation procedure time was 85 minutes, with a mean hospital stay of 6.2 days.
• Low perioperative morbidity was observed, with only one transient complication.
• The device demonstrated high efficacy, with 171 interventions reported in 19 patients, including treatment for ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.

Conclusions:

• Pectoral biphasic transvenous ICD implantation is associated with short procedure times and brief hospitalizations.
• This therapeutic option exhibits very low perioperative morbidity and high efficacy.
• The findings suggest a favorable mid-term complication profile for this ICD approach.