Tsukada Toru, Hiramatsu Yuji, Kanemoto Shinya, Lin Lisheng, Takahashi-Igari Miho, Horigome Hitoshi, Matsushita Shonosuke, Sakakibara Yuzuru
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan.
J Artif Organs. 2013 Dec;16(4):495-7. doi: 10.1007/s10047-013-0714-4. Epub 2013 Jun 1.
A 15-year-old boy with heterotaxy syndrome developed a prolonged QT interval and intractable torsade de pointes after the administration of sodium channel blockers for atrial tachyarrhythmia. Although this situation called for the placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, a conventional transvenous approach was not available since the patient had previously undergone a nonfenestrated extracardiac total cavopulmonary connection. We were urged to carry out the surgical placement of an epicardial lead for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator using a single coil transvenous shock lead through re-do midline sternotomy. Here we describe the details of this nontraditional surgical procedure for the placement of a lead for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in a case without venous access into the heart.
