Biventricular Pacing in Severe Heart Failure Patients Reverses Electromechanical Dyssynchronization from Apex to Base

Biventricular (BV) pacing is an emerging treatment for patients with severe dilated cardiomyopathy and ventricular asynchrony. Radionuclide angioscintigraphy has shown that BV can reduce activation delays between left (LV) and right ventricles (RV), but alterations of electromechanical asynchrony between the LV base and apex have not been previously described. Radionuclide angioscintigraphy with Tc99m red cell labeling was performed in 21 patients, 64 +/- 17 years of age, in NYHA functional Class III or IV, and with a mean QRS duration of 180 +/- 15 ms. Right (RVEF) and LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and the synchronization between LV apex and base (Tab) in the left lateral view, were measured by a phase analysis program (1) at baseline, (2) on day 8 after BV pacemaker implantation (D8), and (3) at 12-month follow-up in BV (M12). BV pacing reversed Tab from 42 +/- 47 ms at baseline to -57 +/- 75** on D8, and -37 +/- 76** on M12. LVEF increased from 17.8 +/- 6.3% to 19.9 +/- 8.3 on D8, and 24.2 +/- 10.8* on M12, and RVEF increased from 27.6 +/- 16% to 29.9 +/- 16 on D8 and 34.1 +/- 12.1* on M12 (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.001). A close correlation was found between early LV apex-to-base resynchronization induced by BV and late increase in LVEF (r = 0.59**). In parallel with its known interventricular resynchronization effect, BV pacing reverses the apex-to-base ventricular activation sequence, causing early contraction of the LV base followed by the apex. These changes persisted up to 12 months along with an improvement in LV systolic function.