Permanent pacing using a coronary sinus lead in a patient with univentricular physiology: an extended application of biventricular pacing technology.

In the past, patients requiring permanent pacing with difficult right ventricular (RV) access were usually subjected to epicardial pacing by a surgical approach. This report describes a young patient with univentricular physiology following repeated palliative surgery for complex congenital heart disease. The patient had symptomatic complete heart block and a dual chamber pacemaker with transvenous atrial and ventricular leads was implanted successfully. The ventricle was paced through the posterolateral cardiac vein with a lead specially designed for cardiac resynchronization therapy. This case illustrates an extended application of the recently developed coronary sinus lead in selected patients, when conventional RV endocardial pacing is impossible.