A direct wire pacing device for transcatheter heart valve and coronary interventions: a first-in-human, multicentre study of the Electroducer Sleeve.

BACKGROUND

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and complex percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) may require cardiac pacing during device delivery, generally requiring the insertion of a temporary pacing lead via an additional venous access site. The purpose-built Electroducer Sleeve device provides direct wire pacing without the need for a temporary venous pacemaker.

AIMS: This study assessed the safety of temporary cardiac pacing using the novel sleeve device during PCI.

METHODS

This was a multicentre, non-randomised, prospective, first-in-human, single-arm, pilot study. The primary endpoint was analysis of a safety outcome, defined as the occurrence of haematomas or bleeding complications at the device vascular access site. Secondary endpoints included analyses of effectiveness and qualitative outcomes.

RESULTS

Sixty patients (mean age: 77.9±9.6 years) from 4 centres in France were included: 39 (65%) underwent TAVI, and 21 (35%) underwent PCI. Procedures were performed using the sleeve with access through the radial (32 patients; 53.3%) or femoral arteries (26; 43.3%), or the femoral vein (2; 3.3%). Primary endpoint analysis revealed that 2 patients (3.3%) developed EArly Discharge After Transradial Stenting of CoronarY Arteries Study (EASY) grade I/Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type I haematomas at the device access site. As a measure of effectiveness, a haemodynamic effect was observed after each spike delivery in 54 patients (90%). Analyses of other secondary endpoints showed that 2 patients (6.3%) presented asymptomatic radial artery occlusion. No allergies were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

This first-in-human trial using the Electroducer Sleeve indicated that this novel, purpose-built, temporary pacing device was safe and effective. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.