Exraction of old lead

I'm 23, and have had a pacemaker since I was 12. I have had 4 boxes: 1 = Single, 2= dual, = 3, multisite 4= multisite replacement due to broken lead.

I have never had a wire removed, and just kept adding to them. This means that theres at least one lead thats been there a decade some soon to be the same. Im worried they'll never come out. With all the vegetation Are they stuck forever, like a ship wreck which has turned into coral reef?

Baring in mind im 23, i will prob need more boxes (battery life) and more wires (breakages or natural op life)....does anybody have experience with lead extraction of ancient wires???

3 Comments

Old OLD leads

by Gellia3 - 2011-08-01 07:08:06

Hi,
Please. Try not to worry about them unless you have a specific problem with them.

I have the "shipwreck" variety. (Great analogy, by the way!) I still have an old abandoned wire from 1975 that dropped into a big coil in the right ventricle. Not likely to be able to get that one out. My two functioning wires for my dual chamber pacer have been in there since March 1982, headed toward 30 years old now.

My EP has elected to leave them alone as they are still doing great and as he puts it, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!", although I have had a repair to the ventricle wire a few years ago.

I'm hoping that they will last me for the rest of my life. I don't believe my EP would attempt to remove them now and I would probably have a whole new pacemaker and wires placed on the opposite side if needed.

I have wondered how many wires they can get in there but I have heard up to five.

In the meantime, I'm going to go for wire longevity and hope mine continue to do as well as they have.
I hope yours do, too.

Best to you,
Gellia






Hi

by Gellia3 - 2011-08-04 02:08:26

I got my first pacemaker in 1975 when I was 26. The single wire is non functioning now but still in there. Bruce Wilkoff is who I'd go to if I needed mine removed, I think. Another is Charlie Byrd (he was one of the Excimer Laser Sheath inventors used in removals) in Ft Lauderdale but I'm not sure if he practices anymore.

I've been incredibly lucky with my wires. I did have a insulation fracture but it was close enough to the pacemaker terminal that a connector was used (I swear he called for duct tape! LOL). My two working wires are nearly 30 years old now and I have had seven PM replacements. If I had to have the wires out for any reason, Bruce Wilkoff is who I'd choose.

Nice to hear a first hand report of his excellence!

Best to you and your husband.
Gellia




Lead Extraction

by lisamblack - 2011-08-04 11:08:20

Hello! My husband had his first pacemaker when he was 18. He is now 33. He is scheduled for surgery at The Cleveland Clinic on September 7. He is getting a new pacemaker and one of his original leads from 1996 has an insuation fracture that they are going to extract and replace. They have opted to extract it since he is so young and will obviously need more surgeries. They take a plastic sheath with lasers on the bottom of it and put it down over the lead to break away all the scar tissue that has been built up. Then they pull out the old lead and put in a new one. They told us that since this is his third time having surgery he has more of a chance of getting an infection then them hitting his artery. This is his second surgery at Cleveland. I highly recommend them. The surgeon doing it is Dr. Bruce Wilkoff and he is supposed to be the best at lead extractions. I hope I have answered and helped with some of your questions. Thank you!

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