Bi-Ventricular Lead Placements

The heart has four chambers, upper and lower. In a healthy heart, the lower chambers (ventricles) pump at the same time and in sync with the upper chambers (atria). When the right and left ventricles do not pump at the same time, it is called heart failure. Out-of-sync contractions result in not enough blood being pumped through the body.

The heart being out of sync eventually leads to heart failure symptoms (dry cough, ankle swelling, leg swelling, weight gain, fatigue, rapid or irregular heartbeat, increased urination, or shortness of breath).

A special kind of pacemaker (biventricular pacemaker) is designed to keep the ventricles contracting together as they are supposed to using small electrical impulses sent through leads. This is called cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or biventricular pacing.

CRT has shown great improvement in symptoms of heart failure and overall quality of life for some patients with severe symptoms that cannot be controlled with medication.

CRT therapy is done with tiny wire leads implanted into the right ventricle through a vein and also into the coronary sinus vein to regulate the left ventricle. Some patients also require a lead implanted in the right atrium to make the heartbeat more balanced.

Patients with heart failure that have failed medications for the symptoms are eligible for biventricular pacemakers.