Remarkable response to cardiac resynchronization therapy via left bundle branch pacing in patients with true left bundle branch block

Background Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has been suggested as an alternative means to deliver cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Hypothesis LBBP may deliver resynchronization therapy along with an advantage over traditional biventricular (BiV) pacing in clinical outcomes. Methods Heart failure patients who presented LBBB morphology according to Strauss's criteria and received successful CRT procedure were enrolled in the present study. Propensity score matching was applied to match patients into LBBP-CRT group and BiV-CRT group. Then, the electrographic data, the echocardiographic data and New York heart association (NYHA) class were compared between the groups. Results Twenty-one patients with successful LBBP procedure and another 21 matched patients with successful BiV-CRT procedure were finally enrolled in the study. The QRS duration (QRSd) was narrowed from 167.7 +/- 14.9 ms to 111.7 +/- 12.3 ms (P < .0001) in the LBBP-CRT group and from 163.6 +/- 13.8 ms to 130.1 +/- 14.0 ms (P < .0001) in the BiV-CRT group. A trend toward better left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was recorded in the LBBP-CRT group (50.9 +/- 10.7% vs 44.4 +/- 13.3%,P= .12) compared to that in the BiV-CRT group at the 6-month follow-up. A trend toward better echocardiographic response was documented in patients receiving LBBP-CRT procedure (90.5% vs 80.9%,P= .43) and more super CRT response was documented in the LBBP-CRT group (80.9% vs 57.1%,P= .09) compared to that in the BiV-CRT group. Conclusions LBBP-CRT can dramatically improve the electrical synchrony in heart failure patients with LBBB. Meanwhile, compared with the traditional BiV-CRT, it has a tendency to significantly improve LVEF and enhance the NYHA cardiac function scores.