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Permanent Transfemoral Pacemaker Implantation Is the Technique of Choice for Patients in Whom the Superior Vena Cava Is Inaccessible
Author(s) -
BARAKAT KHALID,
HILL JONATHAN,
KELLY PAUL
Publication year - 2000
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.1540-8159.2000.tb00825.x
Subject(s) - medicine , superior vena cava , surgery , permanent pacemaker , cardiac pacemaker , pneumonia , transvenous pacing , vena cava , cardiac pacing , subclavian vein , cardiology , catheter
We describe transfemoral pacemaker implantation in three patients in whom pacing via the superior vena cava was not possible or suboptimal. The first was an 88‐year‐old man with superior vena cava obstruction presenting with fractured spicardial pacing leads. Recent pneumonia increased the risks of a general anesthetic. The second patient was a 57‐year‐old man who was intolerant of a pectorally sited pacemaker because of the thinness of his anterior chest wall. The third patient was a 69‐year‐old woman who presented with an infected eroding pectorally sited pacemaker. Scarring secondary to a previous pacemaker infection rendered the contralateral pectoral site inaccessible. Since the subclavian route was inaccessible (case 1) or suboptimai (case 2 and 3), we implanted transvenous pacemakers via the femoral route, which was safe, and effective, during a 6‐month follow‐up period.