Pacing supplement: Introduction

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Authors: Paul Foley

Sponsorship Statement: We thank Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK for their sponsorship to produce this supplement. We thank Biotronik UK for their unrestricted educational grant to produce this supplement. We thank Medtronic for their unrestricted educational grant to produce this supplement. The sponsors have had no role in appointing the authors nor in suggesting titles and content for the articles.

This supplement is published to mark 60 years of cardiac pacing, with a particular focus on the history and developments of pacing in the UK. We approached most manufacturers of devices and several pharmaceutical companies to help sponsor the publication. We are therefore indebted for the sponsorship from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK, Biotronik UK and Medtronic.

Pacing practice has moved on from the start with unipolar pacing and now practice includes implantable defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) for the treatment of heart failure, with parallel developments in remote follow up. Direct His Bundle pacing is now feasible using specially designed guide catheters and a standard pacing lead and appears to have significant benefits with reductions in heart failure hospitalisation, atrial fibrillation and mortality.
The supplement also looks at progress in pacemaker and defibrillator lead extraction, as well as the fast evolving field of leadless pacing. We are pleased to provide ‘state of the art’ review in this exciting field.
We hope that you will find the supplement interesting and of value in your everyday practice.
Paul Foley
Guest Editor