Facilitated Minimally Invasive Left Ventricular Epicardial Lead Placement

Purpose Atrial-synchronized biventricular pacing is an effective treatment option in patients with heart failure and interventricular conduction delay. Owing to a failed transvenous implantation in some patients, the left ventricular (LV) lead has to be placed surgically, usually by an anterolateral thoracotomy. We used a novel malleable epicardial lead placement tool (Epicardial Lead Implant Tool, Model 10626; Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) that facilitates lead placement on the posterior aspect of the LV through an anterolateral minithoracotomy. Description The tool consists of a malleable steel shaft with distal gripping tongs for the epicardial lead. Proximally, a thumbwheel and an actuator button allow fixation and release of the lead on the myocardium. Evaluation We used this tool in 7 patients through an anterolateral minithoracotomy. All patients had a safe, successful, and rather short procedure. No scopes were required. Conclusions Epicardial LV lead placement through an anterolateral minithoracotomy is facilitated by using the Lead Implant Tool. Lead placement is achieved by the malleable shaft design, which enables perpendicular implantation of the lead pad on the posterior LV surface with an anterolateral approach.