Abstract
Introduction: Pacemakers have been effectively prescribed for patients with Brady arrhythmias, and represent essential part of Cardiology skills and practice. It is usually safe procedure, but complications are possible.

Objectives: To evaluate the practice of transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation in a single tertiary cardiac center.

Methods: A group of 121 patients with different indications of permanent pacemaker implantation who have been referred to Ibn-Albitar center for cardiac surgery during the period from December 2014 to May 2018 were enrolled in this study. Case sheets of all included patients were studied carefully and their indications for permanent pacemaker implantation were re-evaluated. The implantation procedures log were reviewed and the immediate and short term complications (within two weeks of the implantation) were precisely followed.

Results: Patients at 63 ±3 years of age were enrolled in present study. Most common presentation was syncope (49.5%), dizziness (47.2%). Contrary, the lowermost common presentation was disturbed level of consciousness. Complete heart block was the most common Electrocardiogram (ECG) finding (71%). Furthermore, the most common pacing mode used was VVI (39.6%). The indications for permanent pacemaker implantation were closely compatible with 2002 American College of Cardiology / American heart association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for permanent pacemaker implantation. Notably, complications occurred in 10% of the procedures, whereas local haematoma formation and pacemaker infection are the most common reported complications (2.95&2.2 respectively). Additionally, Diabetes Mellitus appeared to be the strongest risk factor for pacemaker infection among all risk factors studied.

Conclusion: The standards of permanent pacemaker implantation in Ibn-Albitar Hospital approaches the international standards. Pacemaker infection is still an important problem especially in diabetic patients.

Key words: Permanent Pacemaker Indications, Complications, A Single Center Experience, Atrioventricular (AV), ECG Finding, Clinical Examination, Electrocardiography Traces, Chest x-rays, Echocardiography Reports, Laboratory Investigations.