Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) Part 2

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Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) is a clinically proven treatment option for those individuals who have suffered heart failure. It sends small electrical impulses to both lower chambers of the heart to help them beat in a synchronized pattern. This helps in improving the heart’s ability to pump blood and oxygen to your body. 


Your device may also contain an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) that can deliver an electric shock to reset your heart rate if it becomes dangerously irregular.


Cardiac resynchronization therapy is a treatment for heart failure in people whose lower heart chambers (ventricles) are not contracting in a coordinated manner. It is commonly used in people with heart failure or a condition called left bundle branch block, or in people who are likely to need cardiac pacing due to their slow heart rate.


Heart failure can weaken the heart muscle and prevent it from pumping enough blood to support the body. This can be exacerbated if the heart chambers are out of sync with each other. Cardiac resynchronization therapy can reduce the symptoms of heart failure and lower the risk of heart failure complications, including death.


Complications associated with cardiac resynchronization therapy and transplant procedures include


  • infection

  • bleeding

  • Lung collapse (pneumothorax)

  • Compression of the heart by the accumulation of fluid in the pericardium (cardiac tamponade)

  • Device failure

  • Moving equipment parts that require a different approach

  • What to expect

  • Cardiac resynchronization therapy requires a simple surgical procedure to implant a device in the chest.


You may be awake during surgery, but medications will be prescribed to help you relax. The site where the pacemaker is implanted becomes paralyzed. The process usually takes several hours.


During surgery, insulated wires (electrodes, also called electrodes) are inserted into major veins under or near the collarbone and advanced toward the heart using x-rays as a guide. One end of each wire is attached to an appropriate location on the heart. The other end connects to a pulse generator, which is usually implanted under the skin below the collarbone. 


You will usually stay overnight in the hospital after cardiac resynchronization therapy. Your doctor will test your device before you leave the hospital to make sure it is programmed correctly. Most people can return to normal activities after a few days, but driving and lifting heavy objects may be restricted at times.





Dr. Aritra Konar is a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist in Kolkata at Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata. He has been deemed one of the best cardiologists in Kolkata for his expertise lies in Coronary (femoral & radial routes) angiography, Coronary angioplasty (including primary angioplasty), Peripheral angiography and angioplasty, Permanent pacemaker, ICD, CRT implantation, BMV, BPV, Right heart catheterization and so on, in procedural skills. His guidance is trusted and so are his skills.

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