Follow-up of Patients With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators by Home Monitoring (ANVITE)

Patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) should undergo regular device follow-ups every 3 months, to verify proper ICD function. However, many follow-ups are uneventful, revealing no relevant changes related to the implanted device and in the patient's diagnostic and therapeutic status. For time and economic reasons, longer follow-up intervals are frequently used although they are not according to recommendations. This may increase the delay in detection of relevant changes in the disease and in deviations from optimal ICD therapy in the individual patients. In the newest ICDs, the essential parameters reflecting safety and appropriateness of ICD therapy (threshold, impedance, intracardiac electrogram, etc.) are transmitted via Home Monitoring on a daily basis, to an internet platform accessible by the attending physician. In the present study, the investigators evaluate safety and efficacy of 12-month follow-up intervals in ICDs with Home Monitoring capability, as compared with conventional 3-month follow-up scheme.