Fluoroscopic left ventricular lead position and the long-term clinical outcome of cardiac resynchronization therapy

Background: To determine the effects of left ventricular (LV) lead tip position on the long‐term outcome of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Setting: Cardiac device therapy center. Patients: Five hundred and fifty‐six patients (age 70.4 ± 10.7 years [mean ± standard deviation]). Interventions: CRT‐pacing or CRT‐defibrillation device implantation. Main outcome measures: Cardiovascular mortality and events over a maximum follow‐up period of 9.1 years. Results: Hazard ratios (HRs [95% 785]797) for cardiovascular mortality, adjusted for age, gender, QRS duration, heart failure etiology, New York Heart Association class, and presence of diabetes and atrial fibrillation, were derived for LV lead tip positions in terms of veins, circumferential, and longitudinal positions with respect to the LV chamber. For vein position, these were 1.07 (0.74–1.56) for anterolateral vein position and 1.24 (0.79–1.95) for the middle cardiac vein, compared with a posterolateral vein. For circumferential lead tip position, HRs were 1.56 (0.73–3.34) for anterolateral and 1.57 (0.76–3.25) for lateral, compared with posterior positions. For longitudinal lead tip positions, HRs were 1.02 (0.72–1.46) for basal and 1.21 (0.68–2.17) for apical, compared with mid‐ventricular positions. The risk of meeting the composite endpoints of cardiovascular death or hospitalizations for heart failure and death from any cause or hospitalizations for major adverse cardiovascular events was similar among the various LV lead tip positions. Conclusions: The position of the LV lead over the LV free wall, assessed by fluoroscopy, has no influence over the long‐term outcome of CRT. (PACE 2011; 34:1–13)