[Permanent endocardial pacing. Experience on 1678 patients. (De Gasperis Cardiology Center--Ente Ospedaliero Niguarda--Milano) (author's transl)].

The Authors report on eleven years and six months experience with permanent endocardial pacing in the treatment of various conduction disturbances. This experience relates to 1678 patients, 3617 pacers were used. The age of the patients ranges from 60 to 80 (70%), 30% referring to the remaining decades, minimum 14--maximum 94. Fixed rate pacers were used in 31% of cases, QRS synchronous or QRS inhibited pacers were used in 69%. Average life of the pacers varies from 25 to 29 months; the average life of fixed rate pacer is higher. Complications and causes of failures, among which electrode dislodgement is the most relevant and frequent, as well as the relative therapeutical treatments, are described. Early mortality is about 1% and late mortality 20%; the survival rate calculated altogether after 11 years and 6 months treatment with implantable pervenous pacing is about 16%.