[A case of bloody sputum due to the migration of a temporary cardiac pacing lead into the bronchus].

A 60-year-old man with bloody sputum was admitted to our institute. Prior to the present admission, he had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery (GABG) at our institute 20 month earlier. The fiber optic bronchoscopy findings showed the cause of bleeding to be due to the migration of a post surgical temporary myocardial pacing lead which had been cut off at skin level after a CABG. Under general anesthesia we thus removed this migrated lead using both a fiber optic bronchoscope and forceps. The wire lead was easily removed and the patient has since suffered no more instances of bloody sputum.