LAUSR

Curila et al. [1] reported that pacemaker reprogramming is rarely needed after device replacement. In their prospective study, they showed that outpatient visits after pacemaker replacement do not involve subsequent device reprogramming during follow-up. This suggests the potential benefit of remote follow-up for these patients. The number of cardiac pacemaker implantations is increasing because of the aging population and the extended indications for device implantation [2]. In the United States alone, more than 100,000 pacemaker generator change procedures are performed annually [3]. Pacemaker technology has made great progress in recent years and pacemaker follow-up visits provide more information on heart rate histograms, heart rate variability, supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmia episodes, and patient activity etc. These data are very important for assessment of the patient’s clinical status [4]. In this well-presented article, Curila and colleagues report that after device replacement, planned outpatient visits are not needed. Even if reprogramming is not performed, the data can be used for the patient’s treatment and follow-up or for changing the device parameters. In light of this knowledge, it might be beneficial to followup all patientswith cardiac devices routinely. Corresponding address