title: Coronary vein balloon angioplasty for left ventricular pacemaker lead implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Retrospective analysis of five cases of coronary vein balloon angioplasty performed to allow insertion of left ventricular pacing leads.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Coronary vein stenoses or an insufficient vessel caliber can preclude transvenous placement of coronary vein leads.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared our total patient population (n = 218), in whom we implanted coronary vein leads, to those five patients who required coronary vein angioplasty to allow lead placement. Standard over-the-wire coronary artery balloon angioplasty catheters were used to dilate the vessel to 2.5 mm (n = 3) or 3.5 mm (n = 2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transvenous lead placement succeeds in >99% of patients. Four cases of target vein stenoses and one case of a vein of insufficient caliber were successfully treated by balloon angioplasty. There were no complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coronary vein angioplasty is an effective and safe technique to permit transvenous left ventricular pacing lead insertion in cases of target vein stenoses or insufficient target vein caliber.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. bhansky@hdz-nrw.de
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hansky
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lamp
authors.forename: Kazutomo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heintze
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krater
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horstkotte
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koerfer
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vogt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology