title: Lead extraction technology and techniques: a surgeon's perspective.
abstract: Transvenous lead extraction procedures have gained substantial clinical importance during the past decade. With current tools and techniques, high success rates in combination with low complication rates can be achieved by experienced centres. Even in experienced hands, life-threatening complications can occur, and every physician performing such procedures must be prepared for this scenario. This necessitates immediately available access to extracorporeal circulation, and if the operator is a cardiologist, cardiac surgical standby is mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany starck@dhzb.de.
authors.forename: Christoph T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Starck
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Falk
mesh_terms: D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD); Lead extraction; Pacemaker