Bi-ventricular Defibrillator (CRT-D) and Pacemaker (CRT-P) follow-ups are performed the morning after implant, generally 6 weeks post-implant and thereafter every 6 months or following a device ‘shock’ (CRT-D only). Bi-V follow-ups are performed by a qualified Clinical Cardiac technician.
During a Bi-V follow-up, the Clinical Cardiac technician/Doctor will communicate with the device via a compatible analyser (PSA) to establish patient/device diagnostics, alter settings, record arrhythmia episodes and test device function. The Clinical Cardiac technician/Doctor will also assess heart failure status according to the device parameters. This appointment lasts 30 minutes.
With Bi-V devices we also perform resychronisation programming to optimise the settings of the device. The objective of this test is to configure the device to provide the best cardiac output using differentiated programmable settings. This test lasts around 45 minutes and involves the Clinical Cardiac technician/Doctor working in conjunction with an echocardiographer to measure cardiac outputs in various device configurations. This protocol ensures the device is working at optimal levels. This is a non-invasive procedure.
