Including pacemaker and defibrillator implantation

Apart from the treatment of critical cardiac diseases, the Heart Surgery department of the Brussels Heart Centre focuses particularly on repair and on enhancing the quality of life of its patients.

The Heart Surgery department of the Brussels Heart Centre, working with cardiac rhythm specialists from the Cardiology Department, treats several types of cardiac arrhythmia, particularly atrial fibrillation (Cox-Maze open-heart procedure, modified Cox-Maze procedure, minimally-invasive procedure). Additional minor catheterised ablation may be used as a complement to this operation.

Various types of pacemakers are implanted by the Heart Surgery department of the Brussels Heart Centre. We also have expertise in pacemaker lead extraction.

In recent years, we have been offering resynchronisation therapy to patients with heart failure, if necessary, in combination with an automatic defibrillator (IAD). This is a triple-chamber pacemaker (CRT-P or CRT-D). In this way, there is stimulation of the right atrium (atrial) and of the two ventricles (chamber). Indications and consequent advantages have led to an increase in the use of completely subcutaneous defibrillator implants.

Meanwhile, more than 300 pacemakers and defibrillation systems are implanted annually by the Heart Surgery department of the Brussels Heart Centre and cardiac rhythm specialists at the Cardiology Department of the Brussels Heart Centre.