Cardiac resynchronization as rescue therapy for ventilator-dependent heart failure

Abstract

The role of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in treating non-ambulatory patients with severe heart failure (HF) remains controversial. We present 2 cases in which CRT was successfully utilized in patients with very poor prognosis that had failed multiple attempts at weaning from the ventilator. Both patients improved rapidly, and were successfully weaned shortly after implant. One patient is still alive, living independently without HF symptoms, 23 months after implant. The other patient died 19.5 months after implant due to an unrelated condition. These cases demonstrate that CRT can be successfully employed as rescue therapy in selected ventilator-dependent HF patients.