Combined dynamic cardiomyoplasty and transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator system

A transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was implanted in a patient with drug refractory ventricular fibrillation who had undergone latissimus dorsi cardiomyoplasty. The skeletal muscle was stimulated by a p ulse train generator (cardiostimulator) implanted at the time of cardiomyop lasty. With proper programming of the devices neither adverse ICD-cardiosti mulator interactions nor device malfunction were observed. Thus, the combin ed implantation of a cardiostimulator and an ICD is a feasible and safe the rapeutic option. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved .