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Patch Migration: A Serious Late Complication of Thoracotomy Lead Systems
Author(s) -
SINGER IGOR,
CALZADA NORBERTO,
AUSTIN ERLE H
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1998.tb00038.x
Subject(s) - medicine , thoracotomy , complication , surgery , lead (geology) , bronchopleural fistula , pneumonia , lung , pneumonectomy , geomorphology , geology
Thoracotomy patch leads used for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are generally safe and effective. We describe two patients in whom a late complication of patch lead migration occurred years after the original implants, causing a bronchopleural fistula in one and lingular lobe collapse in the other patient. We conclude that patch migration is a late but possible complication of extrapericardial ICD leads, and should be suspected in patients who present with hemoptysis, atypical pneumonia, or lung collapse after the initial ICD surgery.