Right atrium: a good ally in left ventricular pacing during transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Introduction and objectives: Rapid ventricular pacing reduces cardiac output by providing stability during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Our objective is to assess the efficacy and safety profile of left ventricular pacing through the high-support guidewire used for implantation and a guidewire located in the right atrium (RA) functioning as an anode. Methods : Left ventricular pacing is performed by connecting the external end of a Safari 2 pre-shaped guidewire located in the left ventricle to the cathode of a temporary pacemaker, and the anode to the body of an Emerald guidewire inserted into the RA using a diagnostic Judkins Right catheter (via ultrasound-guided femoral venous access). Pacemaker was programmed with maximum output (20 V) and null sensitivity. Results: A total of 62 selected patients (median 79.4 ± 6.5 years old) underwent transfemoral TAVI using the pacing technique described (25 patients the SAPIEN 3 Ultra; 13 the Navitor, 9 the ACURATE neo2, 14 the Evolut PRO+, and 1 patient the Myvalve). Procedure was successful in all cases (there was 1 capture failure due to pacemaker programming). Two patients required a temporary and permanent pacemaker due to high-grade atrioventricular block. No vascular complications from venous access were documented, not even from the RA guidewire. Procedural time did not increase significantly, and the median length of stay after implantation was 2 days. Conclusions: In our series, left ventricular pacing using the RA-positioned wire as the anode proved to be effective and safe without increasing procedural time significantly. This procedure also provides the advantage of being able to use the central venous access for possible emergency temporary pacemaker implantation.