The Wattson temporary pacing guidewire for transcatheter heart valve implantation

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation and implantation of other transcatheter heart valves, generally requires insertion of a temporary venous pacemaker. Implantation of a temporary venous pacemaker adds complexity, time and risk to the procedure. Guidewire modification to allow pacing is increasingly popular, however it requires technical expertise and provides unipolar pacing resulting in high thresholds and potential capture loss. The Wattson temporary pacing guidewire is a novel device which offers guidewire support for valve delivery and concomitant bipolar pacing. It may offer a safe and effective solution to guidewire pacing for transcatheter aortic valve implantation and other transcatheter heart valve implantations. Herein, we review the literature surrounding left ventricular guidewire pacing along with the features and clinical data of the Wattson wire. Lay abstract: Replacing a heart valve, such as in transcatheter aortic valve implantation, requires the use of a pacemaker. This is often inserted through the veins into the opposite side of the heart to the valve being replaced. However, this method adds risk, time and complexity. New technologies have been developed to simplify this process, by using one wire in only one side of the heart to stimulate the heart muscle and support the valve replacement. The Wattson wire is a new device which acts this way and promises to make the transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedure safer and more efficient. Tweetable abstract: The Wattson wire - a novel modality for left ventricular pacing in transcatheter heart valve implantation