Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dual chamber pacemakers fixed slow heartbeats in two dogs with AV
By Weder, Christian et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2015·Colorado State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Permanent dual chamber epicardial pacemaker implantation in two dogs with complete atrioventricular block.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs with complete heart block were treated with a permanent pacemaker to help regulate their heartbeats. The procedure involved placing leads in the heart through surgery, and both dogs recovered well without any major complications during the operation. One dog experienced temporary neurological signs shortly after surgery, but these resolved quickly. After the pacemaker was implanted, both dogs showed significant improvement in their heart function, and one dog also recovered from a related fluid buildup in the chest.
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Abstract
Between November 2013 and December 2013, two dogs with complete atrioventricular (AV) block had a permanent, dual chamber epicardial pacing system implanted. Steroid-eluting unipolar, button-type epicardial leads(a) were sutured to the right atrial appendage and right ventricular wall via a right thoracotomy in both dogs. The pacemakers were programmed in VDD mode. Permanent dual chamber epicardial pacemaker implantation was successful in both dogs with no intra-operative complications. One dog had an acute onset of neurologic signs two days post-operatively that resolved within 24 h. Both dogs have had complete resolution of the clinical signs related to the bradyarrhythmia, and one dog has had complete resolution of chylothorax. One dog had a major lead complication characterized by intermittent loss of capture that resolved by increasing the pacemaker output. Based on the outcome of these two cases, implantation of permanent dual chamber epicardial pacing systems is possible in dogs providing an alternative to dual chamber transvenous systems.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25595612/