Permanent Cardiac Pacing in Pediatric Patients

Pediatric pacemaker (PM) implants comprise less than 1 % of all PM implants. This study aimed to investigate permanent cardiac pacing among the pediatric population, identifying different indications and complications of pediatric cardiac pacing, especially focusing on the effect of the pacing sites, the PM lead type, and the indications for pacing. The current work is a cross-sectional study of 103 procedures for permanent PM insertion in pediatric patients between January 2001 and December 2010. The patients were followed up 1, 3, and 6 months after implantation, then every 6 months or as needed. Evaluation included routine clinical examination, electrocardiography, chest X-ray, echocardiography, and a full analysis of the pacing system measurements. The ages of the patients ranged from 0.09 to 12 years (median, 2.3 years). The most common indication for pacing was postoperative complete heart bock, noted in 54 patients (52.4 %). Transvenous endocardial PM insertion was performed in 92 procedures (89.3 %), whereas transthoracic epicardial insertion was performed in 11 procedures (10.7 %). The most common site of pacing was the right ventricular apex (n = 64, 62 %), followed by the right ventricular outflow tract (n = 25, 24.3 %). Transthoracic epicardial PM insertion was associated with a significantly higher percentage and greater severity of complications. In this study, 65 % of the patients with left ventricle (LV) dilation before pacing showed a significant improvement in LV dimensions and function after pacing. This was noted only in those with endocardially inserted PM leads in both the congenital and the postoperative groups regardless of the pacing site. Endocardial PM insertion in children is a safe procedure with fewer complications and a lower ventricular threshold than the epicardial route. Permanent single-chamber right ventricle pacing is safe and can lead to significant improvement in LV function and dimensions. However, long-term follow-up assessment is needed for further evaluation.