title: One step behind to step ahead - femoral approach to stabilize and to extract functional pacing lead to regain venous access.
abstract: Transvenous lead extraction can be a method to regain venous access. We present the case of a man, aged 67, with indications to upgrade an ICD to a resynchronization therapy device. Since innominate vein occlusion was diagnosed and extraction of an abandoned ventricular pacing lead did not provide lumen regain, a functional atrial lead was extracted with the femoral approach to stabilization and venous access was regained. Asymptomatic vein wall damage but no other complications were recorded. The simultaneous application of different techniques to regain venous access may allow success of the final procedure in system upgrading.
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Coronary Artery Disease, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maciąg
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Coronary Artery Disease, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Syska
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiosurgery and Transplantology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuśmierski
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Broy
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Coronary Artery Disease, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sterliński
keywords: lead extraction; vein occlusion