• Frank Eberhardt, Thorsten Hanke, Mathias Heringlake, Maximilian S Massalme, Matthias Bechtel, Martin Misfeld, and Uwe K H Wiegand.
• Medical Clinic II, Universitatsklinik Schleswig Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Leubeck, Germany. eberhard@uni-luebeck.de
• Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2007 Jan 1;30 Suppl 1:S50-3.

Background And MethodsBiventricular pacing improves hemodynamics after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with severely reduced left ventricular (LV) function undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We examined the feasibility of temporary biventricular pacing for 96 hours postoperatively. Unipolar epicardial wires were placed on the roof of the right atrium (RA), the right ventricular (RV) outflow tract, and the LV free lateral wall and connected to an external pacing device in 51 patients (mean LV ejection fraction 35 +/- 4%). Pacing and sensing thresholds, lead survival and incidence of pacemaker dysfunction were determined.ResultsAtrial and RV pacing thresholds increased significantly by the 4th postoperative day, from 1.6 +/- 0.2 to 2.5 +/- 0.3 V at 0.5 ms (P = 0.03) at the RA, 1.4 +/- 0.3 V to 2.7 +/- 0.4 mV (P = 0.01) at the RV, and 1.9 +/- 0.6 V to 2.9 +/- 0.7 mV (P = 0.3) at the LV, while sensing thresholds decreased from 2.0 +/- 0.2 to 1.7 +/- 0.2 mV (P = 0.18) at the RA, 7.2 +/- 0.8 to 5.1 +/- 0.7 mV (P = 0.05) at the RV, and 9.4 +/- 1.3 to 5.5 +/- 1.1 mV (P = 0.02) at the LV. The cumulative overall incidence of lead failure was 24% by the 4th postoperative day, and was similar at the RV and LV. We observed no ventricular proarrhythmia due to pacing or temporary pacemaker malfunction.ConclusionsBiventricular pacing after CABG using a standard external pacing system was feasible and safe.

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