Method and apparatus for pacing during revascularization
A system for use during revascularization includes a catheter having an adjustable balloon for delivery a stent, one or more pacing electrodes for delivering one or more pacing pulses to a patient's heart, and a pacemaker configured to generate the one or more pacing pulses to be delivered to the heart via the one or more pacing electrodes. The one or more pacing pulses are delivered at a rate substantially higher than the patient's intrinsic heart rate without being synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac contractions, and are delivered before, during, or after an ischemic event to prevent or reduce cardiac injury.
1. A system for placing a stent in a patient having a heart, the system comprising:
a catheter including a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and an elongate body extending therebetween, wherein the distal end portion includes an adjustable balloon fbr delivering the stent;
one or more pacing electrodes configured to deliver pacing pulses to the heart; and
a pacemaker configured to generate the pacing pulses to be delivered to the heart via the one or more pacing electrodes, wherein the pacing pulses are delivered at a rate substantially higher than the patient's intrinsic heart rate without being synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac contractions and are delivered before, during, or after an ischemic event to prevent or reduce cardiac injury.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the ischemic event is the occlusion of the blood vessel in which the stent is to be delivered.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the pacemaker is an external pacemaker.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pacemaker is configured to cause the pacing pulses to be delivered at the rate substantially higher than the patient's intrinsic heart rate without being synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac contractions during a pacing period programmable in a range of approximately 10 seconds to 20 minutes.
5. A method for delivering cardiac pacing to a patient, the method comprising:
delivering a stent using a catheter including a stent delivery system causing an ischemic event in a patient; and
pacing the heart of the patient before, during, or after the ischemic event in a manner such that pacing pulses are delivered at a rate substantially higher than the patient's intrinsic heart rate without being synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac contractions.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pacing pulses are delivered before, during, or after an ischemic event to prevent or reduce cardiac injury.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein an external pacemaker is provided to pace the heart of the patient before, during, or after the ischemic event.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the pacing pulses are delivered during a pacing period programmable in a range of approximately 10 seconds to 20 minutes.
9. A system comprising:
a stent;
a catheter including a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and an elongate body extending therebetween, wherein the distal end portion includes an adjustable balloon for delivering the stent;
one or more pacing electrodes configured to deliver pacing pulses to a heart of a patient; and
a pacemaker configured to generate the pacing pulses to be delivered to the heart via the one or more pacing electrodes, wherein the pacing pulses are delivered at a rate substantially higher than the patient's intrinsic heart rate without being synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac contractions.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the pacing pulses are delivered before, during, or after an ischemic event to prevent or reduce cardiac injury.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the ischemic event is the occlusion of the blood vessel in which the stent is to be delivered.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein the pacemaker is an external pacemaker.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein the pacemaker is configured to cause the pacing pulses to be delivered at the rate substantially higher than the patient's intrinsic heart rate without being synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac contractions during a pacing period programmable in a range of approximately 10 seconds to 20 minutes.