title: Left ventricular epicardial VVI pacing for a congenital complete heart block with severe myocardial dysfunction: shall epicardial pacing wires be positioned left?
abstract: We present the case of a patient with a congenital complete heart block (CHB) who developed a severe dilated hypokinetic cardiomyopathy whilst paced with a right-sided epicardial wire inserted by an anterior approach. She dramatically and rapidly improved both clinically and echocardiographically, once a single pacing wire was inserted on the left ventricular (LV) wall towards the apex by left thoracotomy. Based upon recent literature, attention is drawn to the fact that left-inserted epicardial pacing wires should probably be considered for pediatric patients in whom atrio-ventricular or inter-ventricular pacing might not be possible to achieve, or else as a consistent approach for small patients requiring VVI epicardial pacing.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tissot
authors.forename: Yacine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aggoun
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rimensberger
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.forename: Afksendyios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalangos
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beghetti
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: da Cruz
mesh_terms: D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital* / Q000628:therapy*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D010496:Pericardium / Q000601:surgery; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome