Open AccessSuccessful pacemaker lead extraction involving an ossified thrombus: A case report
Author(s) -
Okamura Hideo,
Van Arnam John S.,
Aubry Marie Christine,
Friedman Paul A.,
Cha YongMei
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of arrhythmia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.463
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1883-2148
pISSN - 1880-4276
DOI - 10.1016/j.joa.2016.06.007
Subject(s) - thrombus , medicine , lumen (anatomy) , vein , anatomy , soft tissue , surgery , radiology
A 41‐year‐old woman who had been fitted with a pacemaker 18 years prior presented for lead extraction because of device infection. First, we tried laser sheath. However, it cannot cross the binding in the innominate vein. Then we switched to the rotating mechanical sheath. Although it crunched through binding tissue, the progress halted. We removed the sheath and found pieces of calcified tissue in the sheath lumen. After removing the calcified tissue, both leads were extracted using the laser sheath, without complications. The pathological examination revealed a diagnosis of ossified thrombus. Venous thromboses associated with implanted leads can ossify with time, causing difficulties in the extraction of long‐standing intravascular leads.