Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

At UMass Memorial Medical Center, specialists in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) help relieve the symptoms of heart failure by coordinating your heart's contractions.

Arrhythmias, irregular heart rhythms, can sometimes happen in patients with heart failure. Cardiac resynchronization therapy can help improve your heart's rhythm and lessen symptoms.

Our physicians are highly knowledgeable about the latest pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators that supply electrical impulses to the heart. These devices "resync" the heart and increase your heart's efficiency and blood flow.

Electrophysiology (EP) Lab in Central Massachusetts

Cardiac resynchronization therapy involves the implantation of a pacemaker (often combined with a defibrillator) which is done in our Electrophysiology Lab, the most advanced of its kind in Central New England.

How You Can Benefit from Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Your doctor may suggest CRT for the following reasons:

• You have moderate to severe heart failure symptoms.
• The pumping chambers (ventricles) of your heart are not working together and you are found to have a left bundle branch block.
• Tests show that your heart is weak and enlarged.
• Medicines and lifestyle changes aren't working well enough to control your heart failure.
• You have complete heart block and will require pacing from the right ventricle almost 100% of the time.

Recent studies have shown that early implementation of resynchronization devices can lessen the progression of heart failure. You may be a candidate for a resynchronization device if you have:

• A low ejection fraction, which refers to the amount of blood that is pumped out of the heart during each heartbeat
• A finding on your EKG that shows evidence of heart pumping that is not coordinated
• Heart rhythm problems