title: Transvenous biventricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with persistent left superior vena cava and right superior vena cava atresia.
abstract: Biventricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy is an effective adjunctive therapy for the treatment of symptomatic moderate and severe congestive heart failure. However, experience with transvenous cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients who have both persistent left superior vena cava and right superior vena cava atresia is extremely limited. We successfully performed cardiac resynchronization therapy in 2 patients who had persistent left superior vena cava, right superior vena cava atresia, and congestive heart failure. Our 2 cases demonstrate the possibility of a total transvenous approach for left ventricular pacing despite the presence of serious cardiac venous anomalies. This approach enables clinicians to avoid the riskier epicardial lead placement, which requires a thoracotomy under general anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. jalopez@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: J Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lopez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D054326:Coronary Sinus / Q000473:pathology; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013318:Stroke Volume; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*