Atrial pacing, the forgotten pacing mode

In patients with sick sinus syndrome and normal atrioventricular conduction, physiological pacing can be accomplished with either a single chamber atrial pacemaker AAI/R or a dual chamber pacemaker DDD/R. The single chamber device has the advantages of simpler implantation and lower initial costs, while the dual chamber device offers protection in case atrioventricular conduction disturbances develop in the future. When rigorous attention is paid to the pre-implantation selection criteria, the incidence of reported second- or third-degree atrioventricular block varied between 0.4 and 1.8% per annum. Medical practice, however, has shifted to predominant implantation of DDD/R pacemakers in more than 95% of patients with sick sinus syndrome. Recent publications have reported an increase in left atrial diameter, decrease in left ventricular fractional shortening and increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in patients with DDD/R pacing as compared with patients with single chamber atrial devices. These changes were proportional to the percentage of ventricular paced beats. New algorithms in dual chamber devices have been developed in order to minimise ventricular stimulation. These are being evaluated at present. In my opinion there is still a place for atrial pacing in selected patients with sick sinus syndrome with a minimum risk of developing complete atrioventricular block. (Neth Heart J 2008;16(suppl 1): S25-S27.)