Cor Vasa 2026, 68(1):78-85

(Cardiac resynchronisation therapy in children and patients with congenital heart disease: a review article)

Michal Vrbík, Tereza Zmatlíková, Olena Jurčenko, Jan Kovanda, Miroslav Ložek, Jan Janoušek
Dětské kardiocentrum 2. lékařské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice Motol a Homolka, Praha, Česká republika

This review addresses the issue of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in pediatric and congenital heart disease (CHD) patients with heart failure caused by systolic dysfunction and electromechanical dyssynchrony. Heart failure is one of the leading causes of long-term morbidity and mortality in patients with CHD. Approximately 600-700 children with CHD are born each year in the Czech Republic. Most of them require interventional therapy. A number of cardiac surgical procedures results in electromechanical dyssynchrony caused either by bundle branch block or conventional ventricular pacing. CRT presents an integral part of heart failure therapy in this patient group. This article focuses on the causes of electromechanical dyssynchrony and its diagnosis using ECG and echocardiography. It explains the fundamental differences between heart failure in children and adults. We discuss the specific indications for CRT and the challenges associated with this therapy and summarize the results of CRT in different anatomical substrates including the systemic and pulmonary right ventricle and single ventricle. The aim of this article is to contribute to a better understanding and optimization of CRT in patients with CHD.

Keywords: Cardiac resynchronization therapy, Children, Congenital heart disease, Electromechanical dyssynchrony, Myocardial work, Speckle tracking echocardiography

Received: March 4, 2025; Revised: May 30, 2025; Accepted: November 19, 2025; Prepublished online: June 2, 2012; Published: March 15, 2026  Show citation

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Vrbík M, Zmatlíková T, Jurčenko O, Kovanda J, Ložek M, Janoušek J. (Cardiac resynchronisation therapy in children and patients with congenital heart disease: a review article). Cor Vasa. 2026;68(1):78-85.
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