Patent ID: 7697985

Claim:
A method comprising: employing a cardiac pacemaker having atrial and right and left ventricular electrode bearing leads to deliver a first pacing regimen for a first therapy, wherein the first pacing regimen includes a cardiac resynchronization therapy, wherein the cardiac resynchronization therapy comprises delivering atrial pacing pulses and delivering pacing pulses to the left ventricle synchronized to the delivered atrial pacing pulses; determining if a performance issue exists for the left ventricular lead; discontinuing the first pacing regimen if the performance issue is determined to exist and thereafter delivering a second pacing regimen using the right ventricular lead according to a Ventricular Pacing Protocol (VPP), wherein the VPP tolerates a complete cardiac cycle between delivered atrial pacing pulses devoid of ventricular activity while providing for ventricular pacing in the cycle immediately subsequent to the cardiac cycle devoid of ventricular activity.