The present case report describes a patient with an artificial mitral valve and dual chamber pacemaker implanted due to perioperative complete atrio-ventricular block. One year later an upgrade to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) combined with ICD function was performed due to significant progression of heart failure symptoms. Beneficial effects of CRT are demonstrated, but unfavourable ...

In general, symptoms of atrial fibrillation are an indication for intervention, the most important being the elevated risk for thrombo-embolism. While pharmaco-medical treatment for atrial fibrillation is aimed at either rate or rhythm control (van Gelder et al., 2002), invasive treatment for atrial fibrillation is aimed at rhythm control. An invasive approach may consist of percutaneous cathet...

Five patients with constrictive pericarditis are described, in whom the main constriction was found at operation to be concentrated in an annular band forming a hoop around the pericardial sac, at the level of the atrio-ventricular grooves. In four of them, although the constriction was predominantly at this annulus, the effect on the heart was similar to that resulting from more generalized co...

60 consecutive patients (mean age: 80,7 yrs; s.d.: 6,1 yrs; range 70-94 yrs) referred to a geriatric medicine department with syncope or dizziness were proposectively compared with 40 age and sex matched controls. A battery of non-invasive investigations including tilt-test, glycemia, 12 lead ecg., eeg, 24 hour ambulatory ecg recording,. M--mode echocardiogram and cervical Doppler velocimetry w...

Background Blood entering the left ventricle (LV) through the left atrio-ventricular valve (LAVV) and exiting through the aorta is assumed to follow the most energy efficient pathway. In patients with a corrected atrio-ventricular septal defect (AVSD), this intra-cardiac blood flow pathway may be altered, due to the restricted opening of the LAVV. This might affect optimal LV function. Particle...