Cardiac resynchronization therapy is an important and underused tool to help patients with heart failure symptoms, left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF ≤ 35%), and intraventricular conduction system disease (QRS ≥ 120 msec). Cardiac resynchronization therapy paces the heart simultaneously from both right and left ventricles (through the coronary sinus).
This article is from,. AbstractObjectives:: To evaluate the effect of concomitant cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on health related quality of life (QoL) in patients with heart failure (HF) and ventricular dyssynchrony undergoing cardiac surgery.
Methods:: Twenty-eight patients received permanent epicardial CRT in connection to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and/or aortic valve replacement (AVR) (CRT group). Thirty-seven HF patients without concomitant CRT served as a comparison group (non-CRT group). SF-36 was used to assess QoL in the two groups and was also compared with the general Swedish population.
Results:: The median follow-up time was 28 months after surgery (range 8 to 44 months). No difference in QoL could be shown between the CRT group and the comparison group. Several subscales of QoL in the CRT group were in range with the general Swedish population. Conclusion:: Concomitant CRT for patients with HF and ventricular dyssynchrony undergoing CABG and/or AVR did not result in a higher estimated QoL compared to HF patients without CRT.