Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome of symptoms and signs that happen when the heart is not working well enough. It leads to reduced blood flow to body tissues and can cause oedema in the lungs (causing breathlessness) and swelling of the legs. Other symptoms include reduced ability to exercise, fatigue and malaise. Heart failure can be caused by structural or functional abnormalities of the heart.
Treatments for heart failure are described in NICE's guideline on diagnosing and managing chronic heart failure in adults. Initial treatments include drugs to improve heart function. However, as heart failure becomes more severe, it can become unresponsive to drugs alone. Implantation of specific devices to sense and stimulate the heart chambers might then be recommended as an adjunctive treatment. This is known as cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) which may also include inserting a defibrillator (CRT‑D) or pacing (CRT‑P).
Other treatments include cardiac rehabilitation, coronary revascularisation (when there is coronary artery narrowing), a heart transplant and palliative care. Permanent His-bundle pacemaker implantation may be another option for people with advanced heart failure.
The aim of implanting a permanent pacemaker at the His bundle is to produce normal physiological ventricular activation via the His-Purkinje system.
The procedure is usually done under local anaesthesia, with or without sedation, in a cardiac catheterisation laboratory. A pacemaker generator is implanted under the skin near the collarbone, usually on the left side of the chest (although the right side is possible). A standard or dedicated pacing lead is inserted through the subclavian, cephalic or axillary vein into the heart. This is done under fluoroscopic guidance and continuous electrocardiogram monitoring or mapping, and using a standard or specially designed His-delivery sheath. It is then positioned and secured to the His bundle, where it can directly stimulate the His-bundle fibres. An electrogram from the tip of the lead is used to ensure a His signal and that the pacing lead is correctly placed. The pacemaker generator is securely connected to the His-bundle lead. The generator can be adjusted transcutaneously to ensure optimum His-bundle pacing.