First clinical experience with the Kora pacemaker system in congenital complete heart block in newborn infants

Abstract Background To report first clinical experience on three cases of congenital complete heart block and the use of a pacemaker system with a maximum lower rate interval of 95 beats per minute. Methods We retrospectively analyzed three patients treated with a pacemaker system with a maximum lower rate interval of 95 beats per minute suffering from congenital complete heart block. We report a follow up period of 2.9 years, focusing on the patients’ growth, development, and adverse events, as well as pacemaker function. Results In all three patients pacemaker function was impeccable, including minute ventilation sensor rate adaption. All patients showed limited growths as expected, adequate development, good feeding tolerability and circadiane heart rate adaption. One patient experienced skin traction and revision. All patients showed high aortic velocity time integral values after birth. Conclusion The use of a pacemaker system with a maximum lower rate interval of 95 beats per minute in infants suffering from congenital complete heart block and showing high aortic VTI values seems to be feasible and to result in limited growths but adequate development