Electronic Repositioning With Acuity and Easytrak Leads (ERACE)

Evaluate appropriate performance of Electronic Repositioning™ (ER) in the clinical routine, cumulative incidence of phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS) & success rates of Electronic Repositioning (ER) to remove it, various incl. left ventricular pacing (LVP) thresholds and PNS

Bipolar leads for left ventricular pacing (LVP) such as the newly available ACUITY™ or the standard EASYTRAK™ II and EASYTRAK™ III leads from GUIDANT in combination with suitable devices for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) allow for the non-invasive programming of different Left Ventricular Pacing (LVP) configurations. Hence, this Electronic Repositioning (ER) may help physicians to overcome problems in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) such as ineffective biventricular pacing, high Left Ventricular Pacing (LVP) thresholds and phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS) without the need for an additional patient's operation to reposition LV leads. The ERACE study it a multi-center, prospective, non-randomized clinical study to document and evaluate appropriate performance of GUIDANT's Electronic Repositioning™ in the clinical routine with respect to the following major aspects: avoidance of PNS and low LVP thresholds (for low battery consumption and extended device longevity) in standard cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)

Proportion of Patients Without the Occurrence of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT)-Induced Phrenic Nerve Stimulation (PNS) Between Implant and First Regular Follow-up (FU)

The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients in whom PNS induced by Left Ventricular (LV) pacing could be avoided by electronic repositioning from implantation to first regular follow up (3-6 months postimplant). In this evaluation, prevention of PNS was defined as PNS appearing with the standard pacing configuration-LV tip as cathode versus Right Ventricle (RV) coil as anode-and being avoided by at least one of the three alternative reprogrammable configurations.

Inclusion Criteria: Patients receiving their FIRST implantation of a Left Ventricular (LV) lead in combination with a CRT device with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) backup and the possibility for Electronic Repositioning™ Patients willing (= signed written consent) and capable to participate in all procedures of the study" Exclusion Criteria: Patients who will not be available for routine Follow up 18 years old Known pregnancy.