Clinical profile and incidence of ventricular arrhythmia in patients undergoing defibrillator generator replacement in Spain

Introduction and objectives: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators reduce mortality in some patients with heart disease. Battery replacement is a frequent occurrence in clinical practice and is required in up to 30% of implants. The benefit/risk ratio of defibrillators varies over time and should be reevaluated at the time of replacement. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and incidence of defibrillator therapies in patients who underwent generator replacement.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study involved patients from the UMBRELLA national registry who underwent replacement due to defibrillator battery depletion. The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias was determined via remote monitoring. Risk factors for sustained ventricular arrhythmia after replacement were analyzed.

Results: A total of 354 patients were included (mean age [standard deviation], 61.8 [14.5] years; men, 80%; secondary prevention, 42%; ventricular arrhythmias in the explanted generator, 62%). After a 25-month follow-up, 70 patients (20%) received appropriate therapies and 8 (2.3%) received inappropriate discharges. Male sex, structural heart disease, heart failure, and the absence of resynchronization were independent predictors of ventricular arrhythmia occurrence.

Conclusions: One-fifth of patients had appropriate defibrillator therapies in the first 2 years after generator replacement. Determination of the factors associated with arrhythmia occurrence after replacement may be useful to optimize implantable cardioverter-defibrillator treatment.