Cardiac re-synchronization therapy (CRT) devices help your heart beat more efficiently and monitor your condition so your doctor can provide the right treatment for you. Find out more about how your device works below.
CRT-D is designed to stop life-threatening ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation with relatively weak and painless stimulation therapy or electrical shocks.
CRT-Ds enhance diseased hearts’ effectiveness and increase blood flow. They improve heart failure symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and exercise intolerance. Cardiac resynchronization therapy significantly lowers the risk of life-threatening cardiac events. Many patients’ quality of life improves significantly with a CRT-D. Surgery is necessary to implant a CRT-D.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy devices include:
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy with a pacemaker (CRT-P).The device used for cardiac resynchronization therapy has three leads that connect the pacemaker to the right upper chamber of your heart (right atria) and both lower chambers (ventricles).
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy with a pacemaker and an ICD (CRT-D).This device may be recommended for people with heart failure who also have a risk of sudden cardiac death. It can detect dangerous heart rhythms and deliver a stronger shock of energy, which is able to reset your heartbeat, than a pacemaker can deliver.