Clinical Experience with Dual‐Chamber Rate Responsive Pacemakers

Abstract

The development of dual‐chamber rate responsive pacing is the logical consequence of technical and clinical developments and research in pacemaker technology. The first rate responsive dual‐chamber pacemaker was implanted in June 1986 and the successful performance of this device encouraged manufacturers to further develop this technology. The rhythmic corrections that could be achieved were a strong argument to make use of this new technology in patients suffering from combined sinus node and AV nodal disease. DDD rate responsive pacemakers, therefore, have been implanted in 16 patients with a mean follow‐up of 10.4 months. No technical complications were encountered, 2 patients died from causes not related to an arrhythmic problem. Of the 14 remaining patients, 12 are still in a dual‐chamber rate responsive mode, 2 are in DDD or DDI‐mode because of chronotropic competence of the sinus node. Therefore, we, conclude that dual‐chamber rate responsive pacing is a reliable mode for long‐term physiological pacing. Different features that can be included in a DDDR pacemaker may widen its use so that 85% of pacemaker indications might be covered with the DDDR pacemaker.