Resynchronization pacing is a useful adjunct to the management of acute heart failure after surgery for congenital heart defects.

The acute hemodynamic effect of atrioventricular (AV) and inter/intraventricular (IV) resynchronization accomplished by temporary pacing using multiple epicardial pacing wires was evaluated in 20 children (aged 3.4 months to 14.0 years) after surgery for congenital heart defects fulfilling the following criteria: (1) presence of AV and/or IV conduction delay, and (2) need for inotropic support. AV resynchronization (n = 13) was achieved by AV delay optimization during atrial synchronous right ventricular outflow tract pacing. IV resynchronization (n = 14) was accomplished by atrial synchronous pacing from the right ventricular lateral wall in 7 patients with right bundle branch block and normal AV conduction and by atrial synchronous multisite ventricular pacing in another 7 patients with previously performed AV resynchronization. Compared with baseline values, AV resynchronization resulted in an increase in arterial systolic, mean, and pulse pressures by 7.2 +/- 8.3% (p <0.01), 8.6 +/- 8.1% (p <0.005), and 6.9 +/- 13.5% (p = NS), respectively. IV resynchronization used either alone or added to previously performed AV resynchronization led to a pressure increase of 7.0 +/- 4.7%, 5.9 +/- 4.7%, and 9.4 +/- 7.8%, respectively (p <0.001 for all). The combined effect of AV and IV resynchronization resulted in a systolic, mean, and pulse pressure increase of 10.2 +/- 5.0% (range 4.0 to 19.1), 8.6 +/- 5.4% (range 0.8 to 14.8), and 15.2 +/- 8.5% (range 6.1 to 33.3), respectively (p <0.001 for all). The increase in systolic arterial pressure after IV resynchronization was positively correlated with the initial QRS duration (r = 0.62, p <0.05) and extent of QRS shortening (r = 0.66, p <0.05). In conclusion, resynchronization pacing led to a significant increase in arterial blood pressure and was a useful adjunct to the treatment of acute postoperative heart failure in patients with AV and/or IV conduction delay.