Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a treatment for some cases of heart failure. In heart failure, the heart does not pump blood with appropriate efficiency. In some patients, this inefficiency is due in part to a failure of the walls of one heart chamber (left ventricle) to contract all at the same time to pump blood, as it would normally. In CRT a device called a biventricular (BiV) pacemaker or pacer is surgically implanted in the chest near the heart. It produces electrical signals to make the walls of the left ventricle pump properly. The BiV pacer can improve symptoms of heart failure, keep an affected individual from needing to go to the hospital for the condition, and help people with heart failure live longer. This type of pacemaker includes a device with a battery and small computer that the physician programs to send electrical signals to the heart when appropriate. It is similar in appearance to other pacemakers that help treat cardiac arrhythmias, but has three wires ("leads") instead of two. Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor might use a "combined" device, which has a BiV pacemaker plus an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) that can sense and treat abnormal heartbeats that could cause sudden death.
Why UAB
UAB Cardiovascular Institute delivers optimal patient care for heart rhythm disorders. You will be cared for by regional and world leaders in the treatment of heart arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia, and other heart rhythm abnormalities.
Our physicians evaluate the newest treatments and technologies and author professional publications that advance the field of arrhythmia treatment. Their extensive experience and academic backgrounds ensure that they are familiar with all types of heart rhythm disorders. Our academic medical center performs more than 600 heart rhythm-related procedures each year, and our success in treating all types of complex arrhythmias is well-documented. Our electrophysiologists have access to the UAB Cardiovascular Institute, one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast. It features the most advanced technology available, including four procedural suites dedicated to electrophysiology (the electrical signals in the heart). At UAB Medicine you are part of a program that carries out pioneering work in atrial fibrillation and advanced pacemaker and cardioverter defibrillator design.
VIDEOS
Wade Gladden - Aortic Valve Stenosis
Heart Acton Video Tour
Heart Acton (fixed) from UAB Health System on Vimeo.
Take a video tour of the UAB Heart & Vascular Clinic at Acton Road.
RELATED SERVICES
CLINICAL TRIALS
UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information on clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov.
View Clinical TrialsMore from UAB
Around the Web
LATEST HEADLINES
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Study shows some heart disease patients implanted with a VAD have better survival and are more likely to receive a heart transplant
- Publish Date
- 12/19/22
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UAB Cardiovascular Institute is Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Providing High-Quality Heart Care
- Publish Date
- 10/11/22
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Heart-Healthy Tailgates for the Win
- Publish Date
- 9/15/22
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UAB Physicians Using Mpirik Cardiac Intelligence to Address Health Inequities
- Publish Date
- 9/12/22
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Recent Advancements Make it Easier to Live Well with Atrial Fibrillation
- Publish Date
- 9/7/22
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Lohr Named New Director for the Division of Cardiovascular Disease
- Publish Date
- 9/4/22
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Inside a high-tech heart clinic, doctors look to the past for clues to the future
- Publish Date
- 9/2/22
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Hope Through Adversity — How One Patient Continues to Press Forward with Gratitude for Life, Family, and Friends
- Publish Date
- 8/2/22
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UAB performs first valve-in-valve procedure using Evolutâ„¢ FX TAVR system
- Publish Date
- 7/8/22
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Your Family Tree Can Reveal Heart Disease Risks
- Publish Date
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Related Links
heart.org
heart.org
uabmedicine.org
Heart Rhythm Society
hrsonline.org