Intracardiac migration of operatively placed epicardial pacing leads.

This study describes intracardiac migration of epicardial pacemaker leads after open heart surgery in 2 patients. Discovery of these pacemaker leads or remnants led to diagnostic confusion until an appropriate diagnosis was established by both invasive and noninvasive means. Intracardiac migration of epicardial pacemaker leads has only rarely been reported. Migration to other noncardiac organs has also been reported infrequently. Awareness of this unusual occurrence should avoid postoperative confusion in recognizing origin of said artifacts.