Abstract

Objectives:
We evaluated the effect of pacing mode on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with complete atrioventricular block (CAB).
Method: We retrospectively evaluated 161 patients with CAB who received a cardiac permanent pacemaker. Of the patients included in physiologic pacing (PP) group, 95 patients was in the VDD mode of pacing and 14 patients was in the DDD mode of pacing. There were 52 patients in ventricular pacing (VP) group.
Results: The patient’s mean age was 66±13 years and the mean follow-up duration was 40.2±22.6 months. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was observed significantly more frequent in VP group than in the PP group (p=0.007). However, the incidence of stroke wasn’t different between two groups (p=0.753). Newly developed congestive heart failure (CHF) is seen more frequently in the VP group (p=0.015). When we examined the patients with and without CHF before pacemaker implantation, the number of the patients with signs and symptoms of CHF was decreased in the PP group (p=0.039) and nonsignificantly increased in VP group (P=0.219).
Conclusion: We conclude that for patients with CAB, PP, as compared with VP, may reduce the rate of atrial fibrillation and CHF in the long-term.

Key words: Atrioventricular Block, Cardiac Pacing, Artificial, Atrial Fibrillation, Stroke, Heart Failure.