11/10/2025
Patient Follow-Up: 1 Year and 7 Months after CRT-D Implantation
A 63-year-old woman, who had been living with diabetes for many years and, in more recent years, had also suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy — a condition that causes enlargement of the heart chambers and progressive weakening of the heart muscle — came to our center in a critical condition.
She had been experiencing dangerously slow heartbeats (sometimes below 30 beats per minute), occasional pauses in her heartbeat, and at other times, very rapid heartbeats occurring repeatedly (up to six times a day), which caused repeated fainting episodes and posed a serious threat to her life.
In addition, she was diagnosed with a Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) — a problem affecting the electrical conduction system of the heart.
Considering her condition, a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with Defibrillator (CRT-D) device was implanted at our center on March 14, 2024
Pre-implant evaluation
Echocardiography showed a severely weakened heart function, with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 25% — far below the normal range, and a left ventricular diastolic diameter of 60 mm and systolic diameter of 48 mm, indicating left ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction.
Current follow-up after 1 year and 7 months.
Echocardiography demonstrates marked improvement, with LVEF increased to 65%, reflecting recovery of left ventricular function.
The CRT-D device is functioning optimally, with a stable heart rhythm at 74 beats per minute on her last checkup.
Clinically, the patient reports complete resolution of her previous symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and syncope.
She is currently in good condition, active, and enjoying an improved quality of life.
