title: Surgical management of cardiac implantable electronic device infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The infection of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) is a serious and potentially lethal complication. The population at risk is growing, as the device implantation is increasing especially in older patients with associated comorbid conditions. Our purpose was to present the management of this complicated surgical condition and to extract the relevant conclusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 3-year period 1,508 CIED were implanted in our hospital. We treated six cases of permanent pacemaker infection with localized pocket infection or endocarditis. In accordance to the recent AHA/ACC guidelines, complete device removal was decided in all cases. The devices were removed under general anaesthesia, with a midline sternotomy, under extracorporeal circulation on the beating heart. Epicardial permanent pacing electrodes were placed on the right atrium and ventricle before the end of the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postoperative course of all patients was uncomplicated and after a follow up period of five years no relapse of infection occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Management protocols that include complete device removal are the only effective measure for the eradication of CIED infections. Although newer technologies have emerged and specialized techniques of percutaneous device removal have been developed, the surgical alternative to these methods can be a safe solution in cases of infected devices.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koutentakis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siminelakis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Korantzopoulos
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrou
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrou
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Priavali
authors.forename: Eleftheria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Priavali
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mpakas
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gesouli
authors.forename: Eleftheria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gesouli
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Apostolakis
authors.forename: Eleftheria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Apostolakis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Kosmas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsakiridis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsikogiannis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kougioumtzi
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Machairiotis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsiouda
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2 Department of Cardiology, 3 Department of Anesthesiology, 4 Department of Microbiology, University Hospital Ioannina, 45500, Greece ; 5 Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, "Saint Luke" Private Hospital, Thessaloniki, Panorama, Greece ; 6 Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ; 7 Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece ; 8 Internal Medicine Department, "Theageneio" Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
keywords: Cardiac device infection; cardiac surgery; endocarditis; pacemaker infection