Permanent endocardial pacing. Seven years' experience.

Abstract

. Forty-nine patients have been treated with permanent pacing, 48 of them with endocardial electrode. In four patients the pacing was begun with epicardial electrodes, which were later substituted by endocardial electrodes in three of them. Altogether 101 impulse generators were implanted. The early postoperative mortality was 2% (1/48). The cumulative survival rates at one, two and three years were 90, 69 and 63%, respectively. The battery life-time was 15.2 months on the average. The commonest complication was dislocation of the endocardial electrode, which happened in five patients as an early complication and in three patients later during the follow-up period. This complication was treated successfully in all instances. The advantages of endocardial in comparison to epicardial electrode technique are discussed.