Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump enough blood through the body. Usually, the loss in pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem, such as coronary artery disease.

The term heart failure suggests a sudden and complete stop of heart activity. But, actually, the heart does not suddenly stop. Rather, heart failure usually develops slowly, often over years, as the heart gradually loses its pumping ability and works less efficiently. Some people may not become aware of their condition until symptoms appear years after their heart began its decline.

How serious the condition is depends on how much pumping capacity the heart has lost. Nearly everyone loses some pumping capacity as they age. But the loss is significantly more in heart failure and often results from a heart attack or other disease that damages the heart.

Biventricular Pacing

A new technique involving biventricular pacing is being offered to patients with heart failure that is not responsive to the usual heart failure treatments. This involves implantation of pacing leads within the right atrium and ventricle and in addition, a thin pacing lead via branches of the coronary sinus, to pace the left ventricle.

Coronary sinus lead

Preliminary data suggest a significant improvement in functional class can be achieved by resynchronizing the action of the right and left ventricles, particularly in patients with a broad left bundle branch block.