Use of the Leadless Pacemaker to Provide Empiric Pacing Support for a Young Patient with Prior Ablation of a Mid-septal Accessory Pathway Resulting in Damage to the Compact AV Node

Abstract

The leadless cardiac pacemaker was selected to provide empiric pacing support in this patient with a manifest mid-septal accessory pathway who had undergone a previous ablation resulting in injury to the compact atrioventricular node. Although this patient's accessory pathway currently demonstrates stable antegrade conduction properties, diminished and complete resolution of manifest pre-excitation has been well described in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Because of the patient's young age, an increased risk is present for long-term complications inherent with traditional transvenous pacing. The Nanostim leadless pacemaker (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN, USA) was implanted into the right ventricular myocardium without complication. Pacing performance has remained stable, and the patient has been free of device-related adverse events at 19 months after implant.

Keywords: Ablation; anteroseptal accessory pathway; leadless pacemaker.