title: Endocardial Lead Extraction in the Polish Registry - clinical practice versus current Heart Rhythm Society consensus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last 10 years, there has been an increasing number of patients with pacemaker (PM) and cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This study is a retrospective analysis of indications for endocardial pacemaker and ICD lead extractions between 2003 and 2009 based on the experience of three Polish Referral Lead Extraction Centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since 2003, the authors have consecutively retrospectively collected all cases and entered the information in the database. All patients which had indication for lead extraction according to Heart Rhythm Society Guidelines were included to final analyze. Between 2003 and 2005, the data were analyzed together. Since 2006, data have been collected and analyzed annually.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In each year, a significant increase in lead extraction was observed. The main indications for LE were infections in 52.4% of patients. Nonfunctioning lead extraction constituted the second group of indications for LE in 29.7% of patients. During the registry period, the percentage of class I indications decreased from 80% in 2006 to only 47% in 2009. On the other hand, increasingly more leads were removed because of class 2, especially class 2b. In 2009, 40% of leads were extracted due to class 2b.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Polish Registry of Endocardial Lead Extraction 2003-2009, shows an increasing frequency of lead extraction. The main indication for LE is infection: systemic and pocket. An increase in class 2, especially 2b, LE indication in every center during the study period was found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrocardiology, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chudzik
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kutarski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitkowski
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Arrhythmias Department, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Przybylski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewek
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrocardiology, John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Małecka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smukowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maciąg
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smigielski
keywords: abandoned lead extraction; lead extraction indication; nonfunctional lead extraction