Pacemaker Club: Abandoned Atrial lead tip

Abandoned Atrial lead tip

by Lisarose
2021-03-27 14:05:54
Batteries & Leads
1017 views
2 comments

Hello all,

Happy Saturday, hope all are well. (During this weird and scary time...)

Last August (2020), I had my leads removed then replaced at time of pacemaker replacement, my atrial lead threshold was too high, it wasn't capturing, so needed to be replaced. Surgeon opted to replace the ventrical lead at the same time. They couldn't get the atrial lead out completely so the tip of this lead was abandoned and remains lodged in my atrium. Since this surgery, the ventricular lead was again revised/moved because it was triggering phrenic nerve.

Now, I have an ongoing ache left of sternum. Pain is usually there all day, it fluctuates in intensity. X-rays show the abandoned tip including what is described as "frayed wires" coming from same. An echocardiogram has ruled out pericarditis, I am scheduled for a CT angiogram to rule out blockage.

Would love to hear from anyone who also has had a lead tip abandoned and if they experienced pain due to this. How was it remedied? Any information would assist. When I search on line, there is a lot of information about entire abandoned leads, but not if just the tip is left behind.

thank you so much,

Lisa

2 Comments

Broken leads

by karinirene - 2021-05-04 14:11:59

Hi, as a person in my 40's, I have had 3 changes of batteries and leads as I tend to break them easily. No doctor know why.

Doctors couldn;t take the previous leads out but one, many years ago. I now have 3 cables / leads, running from my heart going nowhere as they are impossible to take out. I don't feel them, nor have I any pain due to them, as they are not attached to a battery you shouldn't feel any pain; so my suggestion, as a person with 5 leads in my body, is to go to your doctor and get it check out.

Displaced lead immediately after implant

by wifey - 2021-05-09 12:29:27

The atrial lead was discovered as loose after wound closed. Abbott 2 wire Pm. We were told we would have to wait 6 weeks for healing then lead revision could be done. The beats were immediately reset at 40 using the lower lead. The surgeon never added this info into the surgery notes. And when we asked at the very rushed check up a week later, he annoted the visit notes that revision is needed because "unfortunately lead is now detached." The 6 week wait and reluctance to admit immediate failure, and fix it immediately is weird. Our trust is suffering. Could this 6 week wait be more related to tricking Medicare into considering the surgery as successful? I haven't encountered this wait period in any research. The surgeon told us the wait was for healing, but it seems like the lead might be harder to reposition after 6 weeks. Are we just paranoid?