title: A Patient with a 40% Ejection Fraction Undergoes Atrioventricular Nodal Ablation for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation with Rapid Ventricular Rates. What Type of Device Should He Receive?
abstract: Patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation not amenable to pharmacologic therapy or catheter ablation may be appropriate candidates for atrioventricular nodal (AVN) ablation and placement of a permanent pacemaker. The question arises as to whether to implant a right ventricular (RV)-only pacing device or a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device. This article examines 2 similar cases of patients presenting for AVN ablation who received RV-only pacing devices but had different clinical outcomes. This article discusses existing guidelines and studies that can help clinicians address the challenging question of whether an initial implant of a CRT pacing device is warranted in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Electrophysiology, Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan Hospital, #2396B, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5853, USA.
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latchamsetty
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morady