Abstract
We studied the occurence of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia (atrial arrhythmias) after VVI-pacemaker (PM) and DDD-PM implantation in sick sinus syndrome. Retrograde P was present in 12 of 20 patients with VVI-PM and 9 Of them (75%) had atrial arrhythmias. In Rubenstein III (R-III), 6 Of 8 patients had atrial arrhythmias after VVI-PM implantation. 5 of 23 patients had atrial arrhythmias after DDD-PM implantation, and all of them were R-III. 4 of 9 of R-III did not have atrial arrhythmias after DDD-PM implantation. In 6 patients whose generators were changed to DDD-PM from VVI-PM, left atrial diameter reduced significantly. In R-III, we can not expect VVI-PM to protect from atrial arrhythmias, but we can expect DDD-PM.
