Allergy to pacemaker silicone compounds: recognition and surgical management.
Silicone is a widely used biomaterial. Contact allergy, particularly to silicone components of pacemaker coatings, is uncommon. We present a 12-year-old girl with a history of complex congenital heart disease and acquired complete heart block excluding transvenous lead placement. Contact allergy to silicone led to multiple surgical interventions until the etiology for recurrent pacemaker wound complications was discovered. The key to diagnosis was a specific manufacturer's patch test. Complete removal of the former pacing system and placement of custom-made silicone free pacemaker components and epicardial use of silicone free transvenous leads were essential for successful therapy.
Oprea
Mihaela L
ML
Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. moprea@ukaachen.de
Schnöring
Heike
H
Sachweh
Jörg S
JS
Ott
Hagen
H
Biertz
Julia
J
Vazquez-Jimenez
Jaime F
JF