Who needs a permanent pacemaker after transcatheter aortic valve implantation?

Abstract

Only persisting periprocedural and early-onset complete heart block were permanent and resulted in patients' pacemaker dependency. Definite predictors of persistence of conduction impairment are yet to be identified. We can predict only pacemaker dependency, but the real need of pacing in our risky patients with softer indications for permanent pacemaker after transcatheter aortic valve implantation cannot be clearly identified, essential in context of improving quality of their lives in avoiding symptomatic bradycardia, which can be intermittent, especially in such a group of elderly patients often with fragile and degenerate conduction system (Tab. 5, Ref. 34).