laser extractions

My mother has had 3 attempts to have leads attached to her ICD in the past few years. First attempt the dr. clipped the vein and bleed to the point of the cavity around her heart was filled with blood - the second and third attempt both times the leads became unattached within hours and the last less than 3 weeks. All due to errors made on size and not being attached securely. Her doctor wants to remove all three wires and attach a bigger wire with much better secure stitches. He has not ever removed leads before but feels confident that he can do it "this time". I have done research about laser removal being used (which he does not) with a 98 per cent success. We live in Virginia and I have heard UVA does this type of surgery. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. She is 81 and has 30 - 35 % heart function. She is frail and has Rheum. arthritis along with Osteoarthritis that keeps her unable to get around without a walker or cane. Thank you

5 Comments

laser extractions

by kaykenneth - 2014-09-10 07:09:12

I have been searching every way that I know how to see if there is a way to search for top doctors that specializes in lead extractions - but so far I have not been able to locate such a search... Thank you angry sparrow1!!! so very much

NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOO!!!!

by PacerRep - 2014-09-11 11:09:48

Dear God I really hope you see this.......

1). First off, Do not go back to this physician for anything, he is not a skilled implanter...end of discussion. You need to find a new implanter and make sure he is an "Electrophysiologist" (EP). This will increase your chances of getting a good implanter. There are plenty of NEPI's out there (implanters that are not EP's) that are fantastic, but for you at this point, get an EP.


2). Extractions - These are no joke, and your chances of survival are severely diminished if you go to somebody that doesn't do at least 100 of these per year. Do not let this guy touch your mother with a laser. Now...if the leads are only 1-3months old, anybody can take them out and it does not require a laser, but since you are suggesting the use of a laser....NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO.

Pick up the phone and book a hotel in either Philadelphia or Miami.

Philadelphia...The best guy in the World...not the country, the world is Dr. Steven Kutalek. People fly in from as far away as Australia for extractions from him. Miami has a whole ring of guys that are experts in extractions as well, If you'd rather go there I recommend Roger Carrillo as your first phone call.

My final note, and hopefully this drives it home for you...Your doctor is a liar. He's blaming the dislodgment on Lead size? Really? I don't usually get fired up on this site like this, but I can't help it. He's a liar, the fixation mechanisms are all the same, he just doesn't know what he's doing, and his rep helping him in the implant doesn't either. We have tools that if you know how to read properly will tell you if that lead is attached properly or not, They are not using unfiltered EGM's during your case and if they are they don't know how to interpret them.

Get a new guy...Get him now.

Fire him

by djw378 - 2014-09-13 09:09:28

Let's go a different route. Let's say you take your car to a mechanic and three times they destroyed your car on a pretty standard repair. Are you taking your car back there when you need a major repair.

Same thing here except we're talking about a human being. He's already had three attempts where he almost killed her, don't give him another shot.

If you're in VA and don't want to travel too far, try Hopkins. They have done several surgeries for me without any issue.

Thank all of you

by kaykenneth - 2014-09-13 10:09:55

I cannot thank you guys enough for all of your advise!! I have sent your replies for my mom to read -- and we are diffently going another route!

Johns Hopkins

by metoo - 2014-10-02 05:10:29

Please, please, please contact Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I live in Virginia also and must have two of my three leads removed and replaced. They were implanted ten years ago.
I found out in the hospital in July that my ejection fraction had dropped to 20 percent after I sufferred a TIA and a focal seizure due to the blood pooling in my left ventricle. I have been on coumadin for ten years and that should not have happened.
My local cardiologist told me that the removal was too "delicate and dangerous" and we should just leave everything as it is. I immediately contacted Johns Hopkins and they got me in very quickly. Surgery is scheduled for November 2014 with Dr. Alan Cheng.
Good luck to you.

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