Optimal Left Ventricular Lead Positioning During Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy; Comparison of Two Methods of Targeting

Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT) is a well-known treatment for patients with heart failure. It is a special pacemaker that consists of three pacing wires, which are implanted in the right upper and bottom chambers of the heart and via a vein on the surface of the main pumping chamber (left bottom chamber). CRT helps by improving co- ordination between the top and the bottom chambers of the heart. By stimulating the heart from the left and right bottom chambers, co-ordination can be restored and heart function as well as symptoms improve. It is known that up to 30-40% of patients of patients undergoing CRT pacemaker implantation do not attain any benefit. Given the inherent risks and costs of pacemaker implantation and maintenance, a reduction in the rate of CRT "non-responders" is an important goal.

It has been suggested that presence of scar tissue in the heart and suboptimal placement of the pacing wire on the top of the main pumping chamber can explain this poor response. The best place to position the pacing wire on the surface of the main pumping chamber is the area that contracts last and it can be identified using ultrasound scan of the heart.

Unfortunately, ultrasound is not always possible to help identifying the best area and only a minority of hospitals are able to use this method. Therefore we aim to investigate alternative ways of positioning the pacing wire in the best possible area of the main pumping heart chamber. Investigators propose to measure electrical signals as an alternative and more effective way in positioning the wire in the most effective area. Investigators aim to look at the relationship between the best area identified by ultrasound scan and by electrical signals and also use electrical signals to avoid areas of scar.