Vardas Panos E
Cardiology Department, University Hospital of Heraklion, PO Box 1352, Stavrakia, GR 711 00 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2003 Oct;9(2):183-7. doi: 10.1023/a:1026280323364.
Cardiac resynchronization has proven to be a useful adjunct therapy for heart failure patients with ventricular conduction disturbances. However, new issues have emerged including the follow-up and trouble-shooting of the biventricular devices. Peri-implant and immediate post-implant follow-up is necessary if procedure-related complications are to be revealed and proper system functioning ensured. Additionally, during the long-term follow-up the optimum device functioning should be evaluated, as should the patient's clinical and functional improvement. Finally, trouble-shooting resulting from the use of biventricular devices is another matter that needs to be addressed and physicians active in the field should continually upgrade their knowledge in the constantly evolving technologies of cardiac resynchronizers.