Single surgical procedure combining epicardial pacemaker implantation and subsequent extraction of the infected pacing system for pacemaker-dependent patients.

OBJECTIVES

Management of pacemaker infection in pacing-dependent patients is often challenging. Typically, temporary pacing is used while antibiotic therapy is given for a number of days before reimplantation of a new endocardial system. This results in a prolonged hospital stay and complications associated with temporary pacing. In this study, we examine the feasibility of performing a single combined procedure of epicardial pacemaker implantation followed by system extraction.

METHODS

One hundred consecutive infected pacemaker-dependent patients underwent implantation of 2 epicardial ventricular leads and were converted to a ventricular demand pacing system. The infected pacing system was then extracted during the same procedure. Patients were followed up for 12 months.

RESULTS

Significant pericardial bleeding developed during the procedure in 3 patients. The presence of the pericardial drain positioned during the implantation of the epicardial pacing system meant that cardiac tamponade did not occur, allowing surgical repair with sternotomy to be carried out under stable hemodynamic conditions. Two of these 100 patients died in the 30-day postoperative period; 1 death was due to septic shock and 1 to pulmonary distress. Median 1-year epicardial pacing thresholds were stable and excellent (1.4 ± 0.9 volts). However, 1 of the 2 leads developed increased thresholds in 6 patients, which led to the exclusive use of other ventricular lead.

CONCLUSIONS

A single combined procedure of surgical epicardial pacemaker implantation and pacemaker system extraction appears to be a safe and effective method for managing pacemaker-dependent patients with infected pacemakers.