Cremation of Leadless Pacemaker.

Cremation of implanted cardiac electronic devices can be associated with explosion from rapid gas formation causing potential hazard to the crematoria staffs and facilities. We present four patients who had undergone cremation with a leadless pacemaker (MicraTM , Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) left inside their bodies. There was neither reported explosion nor damage to the cremation chamber during the cremation process. In this small series, cremation of MicraTM is not associated with noticeable explosion.

Effect of left ventricular lead concordance to the delayed contraction segment on echocardiographic and clinical outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

INTRODUCTION: The optimal left ventricular (LV) pacing site for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is unclear. The current study aims to explore the clinical significance of LV lead concordance to delayed contraction segment in CRT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Concordant LV lead position was defined as the lead tip located by fluoroscopy at or immediately adjacent to the LV segment with latest contraction determined by tissue Doppler imaging. Echocardiographic and clinical outcomes among 101 consecutive patients with or without concordant LV lead positions were compared. There was no significant difference in changes in LV volumes and clinical parameters between patients with concordant (n = 46) or nonconcordant (n = 55) LV lead positions at 3 and 6 months. In multivariate analysis, the baseline asynchrony index (beta= 1.092, 95% CI: 1.050-1.114; P < 0.001), but not LV lead concordance, was the only independent predictor of LV reverse remodeling. By Cox regression analysis, ischemic etiology, and LV reverse remodeling, but not LV lead concordance, were independent predictors of mortality (beta= 2.475, 95% CI: 1.183-5.178; P = 0.016, and beta= 0.272, 95% CI: 0.130-0.567; P < 0.001, respectively), cardiovascular hospitalization (beta= 1.551, 95% CI: 1.032-2.333; P = 0.035, and beta= 0.460, 95% CI: 0.298-0.708; P < 0.001, respectively), and heart failure hospitalization (beta= 0.486, 95% CI: 0.320-0.738; P = 0.001 for LV reverse remodeling). CONCLUSION: LV lead concordance to the delayed contraction segment may not be a major determining factor for favorable echocardiographic and clinical outcomes after CRT.

Improvement of left atrial function is associated with lower incidence of atrial fibrillation and mortality after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial (LA) volume is a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure. Improvement of LA function and reverse remodeling was observed after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical significance of improvement in LA function after CRT. METHODS: Echocardiographic studies were performed before and 3 months after CRT in 97 patients (72 men and 25 women; age 63.8 +/- 13.3 years) with standard CRT indication but no history of atrial fibrillation (AF). LA active emptying fraction based on the change in volumes (LAV-EF) were calculated, and significant improvement in LA function (LA responder) was defined as a relative increase >/=50% from baseline LAV-EF. The primary end-points were newly developed AF detected by ECG or device and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: After 1,200 +/- 705 days of follow-up, LA responders (n = 47 [48.5%]) had a significantly lower incidence of AF (12.8% vs 40%, P = .002) and mortality (17% vs 44%, P = .004) than did LA nonresponders. In Cox proportional hazard analysis, LA responders was the only independent predictor of lower risk of new-onset AF (hazard ratio 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.08-0.61, P = .003), whereas both LA responders (hazard ratio 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.53, P <.001) and left ventricular reverse remodeling (>10% reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume at 3 months; hazard ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.93-0.99, P = .03) were independent predictors of lower risk of death after CRT. CONCLUSION: Improvement of LA function after CRT was associated with a lower incidence of AF and mortality in AF naïve patients with severe heart failure.