title: Video-assisted thoracic placement of epicardial leads.
abstract: Cardiac resynchronization therapy is one of the cornerstones of heart failure treatment. Inability to access the coronary sinus or one of its sidebranches is one of the most common causes of therapeutic failure. We describe a technique using video-assisted thoracic surgery for epicardial placement of the left ventricular lead and use an intrathoracic route to connect the lead to the device.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Thoraxcenter, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jasper J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Schouwenburg
authors.forename: Theo J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Klinkenberg
authors.forename: Alexander H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: Massimo A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mariani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D058406:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D058409:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000601:surgery*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome