Patent ID: 7483739

Claim:
A method for pacing a heart to maintain or restore consistent ventricular pacing, the method comprising: providing a post ventricular atrial refractory period (PVARP) associated with a pacing timing sequence and a plurality of atrioventricular delays including a sensed atrioventricular delay (SAV); delivering pacing therapy to left and right ventricles using the pacing timing sequence; detecting disrupted ventricular pacing during delivery of the pacing timing sequence; responsive to detecting disrupted ventricular pacing, implementing a modified pacing timing sequence to restore the ventricular pacing, the modified pacing timing sequence including a decreased PVARP; scheduling pacing to the ventricles using the SAV relative to a non-refractory atrial event; and if a maximum tracking rate interval has not expired before the scheduled pacing to the ventricles, delaying pacing to the ventricles until expiration of the maximum tracking rate interval.