Abstract
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an effective therapeutic option in patients with congestive heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction LESS-THAN OR EQUAL TO 35%, and a widened QRS complex. However, a significant proportion of individuals do not respond to CRT favorably.
Understandably, a large number of studies have addressed various techniques to improve patient selection for CRT and to improve responder rate in patients with CRT devices. A large proportion of these approaches utilize echocardiography.
Techniques for improved patient selection include various metrics of dyssynchrony that could be associated with response to CRT and long-term outcome. Partly because of failure in the PROSPECT trial, these techniques have not been successfully translated into clinical practice thus far.