title: Jugular pacing lead extraction with laser sheath: a case report.
abstract: Over the past 20 years, the number of patients with pacemakers (PM) or implantable cardioverter defibrillators has risen markedly; consequently, an increasing number of lead-removal procedures have become necessary. A 64-year-old woman presenting with an infected device pocket and positive bacterial cultures (Staphylococcus aureus) was admitted to our department for lead removal; in 1991, she underwent VVI PM implantation for atrioventricular II degree Mobitz 1 block, and a unipolar lead was introduced via the left jugular vein. The procedure was performed in our Electrophysiology Lab with a cardiac surgeon on standby, using an excimer laser system emitting the energy at the tip of a flexible, fibre-optic 12 F sheath, developed by Spectranetics, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO, USA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Elettrofisiologia ed Elettrostimolazione, Divisione e Cattedra di Cardiologia, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curnis
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Racheli
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pagnoni
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lipari
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berlinghieri
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Metwally
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bontempi
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dei Cas
mesh_terms: D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D020878:Device Removal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins; D007834:Lasers; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery