Lead Replacement

I have a dual chamber Medtronic pacemaker.I am on my second set of leads. These leads were put in 10 years ago. The old ones were just left in and not taken out. I'm told that my current leads are becoming frayed and will have to be replaced in a few weeks or months, whenever they hit end of life. There are too many leads and some or all will have to be taken out. The Dr. said they will use laser surgery. Has anyone ever had this procedure? I've had numerous pacemakers. I've always been concerned about getting old leads removed.

2 Comments

LOtsa Hosts have had.....

by donr - 2014-05-15 07:05:15

.....leads successfully removed w/ the laser "Roto-Rooter." Can only think of one off the top of my PM & that's Tattoo Man in the UK. I'm surprised that he hasn't jumped in w/ both feet & splashed his tale all over you.

10 yr old leads are thoroughly embedded in the walls of the veins & the laser is the only way to get them out. There are al sorts of discussion about this procedure on the web, but in a nutshell, they take the leads loose from the PM, slip a small doughnut over the lead that is the cutting head. Laser light is piped into the head & exits it from the front & burns the tissue from around the lead, freeing it. The doughnut follows the lead, cutting as it goes till it gets to the end in the heart. The lead is snipped off close to the heart wall & the end capped.

For four leads, it will take a little while - perhaps a couple hours.

This is an extremely technically demanding procedure for the surgeon performing it. The standard for being considered proficient is performing about 100 of them per year. If your surgeon has not qualified at that level. politely excuse yourself & run as fast as you can to get one who has.

You may as well hear it here - when one of these is performed, a Cardio - Thoracic surgeon & operating suite must be immediately available in the event that there is an accidental puncture of the vein that requires that the chest be opened to fix it.

For the PROFICIENT surgeon performing the extraction(s) the rate of mishaps is about 1%. But no operation is without a risk!

It is usually a either a day surgery or a single overnight one.

There is a lot of experience out there at the procedure. You just have to find a center that has it. I cannot help you here, you only identified your location to the US & that's a BIIIIIG place.

Wish you the best in your procedure.

Donr

Lead Rplacement

by doublehorn48 - 2014-05-15 07:05:39

Donr, Thanks so much for your comments. Your comments were certainly a light in my darkness. May God bless you. Doublehorn 48 M. Scott

You know you're wired when...

You have rhythm.

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I am just now 40 but have had these blackouts all my life. I am thrilled with the pacer and would do it all over again.