title: Intraoperative pacemaker dysfunction caused by the use of electrocautery during a total hip arthroplasty.
abstract: Pacemaker dysfunction encountered during orthopedic procedures is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. With an increasing number of orthopedic procedures performed on the aging population, it is not uncommon to encounter patients with pacemakers requiring major orthopedic intervention. Most, if not all, major orthopedic procedures performed today require the use of electrocautery for hemostasis. In this article we review the literature for pacemaker complications and report a case of pacemaker failure after a single use of the unipolar electrocautery on a patient undergoing a total hip replacement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York Orthopaedic Hospital, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, USA.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Nercessian
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nazarian
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahmud
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial