Intracardiac coiling of permanent atrial leads.
We have observed intracardiac movement of permanently implanted atrial pacing leads in two patients with AAI pacemakers. This resulted in looping of the lead body into the right atrium and ventricle, without displacement of the tip or changes in the pacing or sensing thresholds. At surgery only a single fixation ligature was found and allowed sliding of the lead through the suture sheath, in both cases. The position was corrected by gently pulling the lead. Multiple ligature fixation may avoid this complication.
Cardiology Service of Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, Madrid, Spain.
M
M
López-Gil
A
A
Goicolea
J M
JM
Barbero
R
R
Chicote
F G
FG
Cosio
D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration; D006325:Heart Atria; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008839:Microelectrodes; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D013536:Suture Techniques