Patient Education

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Biventricular pacemaker for heart failure (cardiac resynchronization therapy)

Location of pacemaker and how it connects to the heart.

A pacemaker for heart failure, used for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), sends electrical pulses to the heart to keep the lower chambers (the ventricles) pumping together. This type of pacemaker is also called a biventricular pacemaker.

A doctor places the pacemaker in the chest. The pacemaker has three wires, or leads, that connect to the heart through the subclavian vein. One lead is in the right atrium (upper chamber). A second lead is in the right ventricle. The third lead is in a vein on the outside of the left ventricle. This vein is called the coronary sinus branch vessel.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.