Fifty years of cardiac pacing: the dark side of the moon?
Fifty years after its introduction, cardiac pacing has evolved from an experimental medical treatment to an expanding field in today's cardiology. Only recently there is accumulating evidence that prolonged stimulation of the right ventricular apex is associated with clinically significant adverse effects. In this commentary, the potential adverse effects are summarised and potential modifications in contemporary pacing are discussed. (Neth Heart J 2008;16(Suppl1):S12-S14.).
de Cock
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Department of Cardiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.