Europace Advance Access originally published online on March 16, 2006
Europace 2006 8(4):279-282; doi:10.1093/europace/eul006
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PACING
Electromechanical synchronization of the heterotopic and native heart by dual atrial stimulation following heart transplantation
1 Department of Cardiac SurgeryInnsbruck Medical UniversityAnichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Europe; 2 Department of Cardiology, Internal MedicineInnsbruck Medical UniversityAustria Europe; 3 Department of Radiology IInnsbruck Medical UniversityAustria Europe; 4 Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care MedicineInnsbruck Medical UniversityAustria Europe
After heterotopic heart transplantation, a 59-year-old woman presented with remarkable symptoms of breathlessness and fatigue, despite excellent donor heart function. Asynchrony of donor and native heart provoked haemodynamic instability. Dual atrial pacemaker implantation lead to linkage and synchronization of atrial and ventricular contraction in both the donor and native heart with the faster organ executing the synchronization. Remarkable relief of symptoms has been evident during the long-term follow-up.
Key Words: Heterotopic heart transplantation, Dual atrial pacemaker implantation
* Corresponding author. Tel: +43 512 504 25952; fax: +43 512 504 25953. E-mail address: herwig.antretter{at}uibk.ac.at