title: Biatrial pacing improves atrial haemodynamics and atrioventricular timing compared with pacing from the right atrial appendage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with interatrial conduction delay may have suboptimal left atrioventricular (AV) timing due to delayed contraction of the left atrium with foreshortening of ventricular filling. This may be an issue in pacemaker patients, especially those requiring resychronization therapy. Pacing from the high interatrial septum (IAS) or the distal or proximal coronary sinus (CSD and CSP) may improve left AV synchrony compared with pacing from the right atrial appendage (RAA). Our aim was to compare haemodynamics of these pacing sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 24 patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were studied. Left atrial pressures were recorded in sinus rhythm, and during pacing from the RAA, IAS, CSD, CSP, and with biatrial (BiA) pacing from the IAS + CSD. Amplitudes, +dP/dT(max), and timing of the a-wave were compared between recordings. Left atrial contractility, measured by +dP/dT(max), was greatest during BiA pacing (P ≤ 0.03 for all comparisons). There was a marked reduction in delay to peak a-wave when pacing from all sites compared with the RAA, with BiA pacing yielding the shortest delay (P ≤ 0.001). However, AV conduction was shortened by all alternative pacing sites, which mitigated the anticipation of left atrial contraction with respect to ventricular activation, except for BiA pacing (P < 0.001). Pacing of the IAS did not result in any improvement in haemodynamics or AV synchrony.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multisite atrial pacing results in favourable acute atrial haemodynamics and left AV synchrony. This may be a solution in pacemaker patients with interatrial conduction delay.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, University Hospital, 4, Rue Gabrielle-Gentil, Geneva 1211, Switzerland. haran.burri@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Haran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burri
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bennani
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Domenichini
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ganière
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sunthorn
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stettler
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gentil
authors.forename: Dipen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D054537:Atrioventricular Block / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged