Permanent His-bundle pacing: Long-term lead performance and clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND Right ventricular pacing (RVP) is associated with heart failure and increased mortality. His-bundle pacing (HBP) is a physiological alternative to RVP. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to report long-term performance and compare the clinical outcomes of permanent HBP vs RVP. METHODS All patients requiring pacemaker implantation underwent an attempt at permanent HBP in 2011 at one hospital and RVP at the sister hospital. Patients were followed from implantation, 2 weeks, 2 months, and yearly for 5 years. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), pacing thresholds, lead revision, and generator change were tracked. Primary outcome was the combined endpoint of death or heart failure hospitalization (HFH) at 5 years. RESULTS HBP was attempted in 94 consecutive patients and was successful in 75 (80%); 98 patients underwent RVP. LVEF remained unchanged in the HBP group (55% +/- 8% vs 57% +/- 6 %; P = .13), whereas significant decline was noted in the RVP group (57% +/- 7% vs 52% +/- 11%; P = .002). Incidence of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy was significantly lower in HBP compared to RVP patients (2% vs 22%; P = .04). At 5 years, death or HFH was significantly lower in HBP compared to RVP patients with >40% ventricular pacing (32% vs 53%; hazard ratio 1.9; P = .04). At 5 years, the need for lead revisions (6.7% vs 3%) and for generator change (9% vs 1%) were higher in the HBP group. CONCLUSION In patients undergoing pacemaker implantation, permanent HBP was associated with reduction in death or HFH during long-term follow-up compared to RVP. HBP was associated with higher rates of lead revisions and generator change.